Missing Links
by fnmom68
Summary: My sequel to "Healing Her Wounds" by Raine Delmont. Bella begins her life again with Edward after enduring hell with Mike. Edward has given her the ultimate gift, but will it mean the end of her happiness?
1. Chapter 01 A New Start

**A/N: This story is my first piece of fanfic, and yet is also a sequel. So how does that happen? Well, for anyone who has read the wonderful and heartbreaking story by Raine Delmont titled "Healing Her Wounds" you may have been hoping that there would be a sequel. It is a wonderful story and inspired me to write this one. Please note: Raine Delmont provided the inspiration for this story, I just took in the direction my mind happened to wander. A big thank you to Raine for the encouragement to take this on!**

**Also, thanks so much to my new fanfic buddy FinsXI for her encouragement and willingness to listen to the whinings of a fanfic newbie. Elise, you rock! For those of you who haven't read "Stay Close, Don't Go," I can't recommend it highly enough.**

**OK, enough of my blabbering. Enjoy!**

**BPOV**

I looked down at the beautiful engagement ring on my finger that once belonged to Elizabeth Masen, and I couldn't believe that my former life had finally come to an end. Now, the sense of belonging to my new family filled my heart and made me want to exist again. I knew in my heart that I had endured great physical and emotional pain in order to get here, yet I was unable to keep the smile from my lips. I had finally found happiness in the very same place where I once lost it. I knew in my heart that Edward would never again allow himself to separate from me in the interest of safety, that was certain. I was immortal now, and that meant that the dangers of being a fragile human hanging around potentially bloodthirsty vampires would no longer be a concern for him.

I was more graceful, faster, coordinated, and could hold my own in an arm wrestling match against Emmett. Nobody in the Cullen family seemed to tire of witnessing little Bella best Emmet in any physical competition. Of course, that would only last through my newborn stage, but for now it was quite entertaining. I can't say that Emmett shared that viewpoint, but he had fun betting against his brothers as to the extent of my strength.

I couldn't help but look forward to the future, especially since my past was lost. This was a good thing, and I had my new vampire ability to thank for it. I could recall very little of the time between Edward's disappearance from my life to the time of his return to Forks. I knew only what little information was provided to me by others, and Edward made it very clear to everyone that less was better. He did not want me to remember anything about Mike, or what he had done to take my precious daughter Allie from this world. My ability would allow me to search his memories and discover the terrors my mind had covered up about my former husband, but I knew in my heart that Edward was protecting me, and I would never disappoint him like that. Plus, I had to admit that I was scared of what I would discover about those missing links in my memory.

My power could be as evasive as it was subtle. I could extract any memory I wanted from anyone, human or vampire. I could implant or completely erase any memory I chose as well. The ability to cause everyone in the area to forget that the Cullen family ever existed was an amazing benefit, and could help us wherever we decided to live. And with the help of the extremely talented J. Jenks, an acquaintance of Jasper's, it was possible to create a paper trail that would support my ability to make everyone believe that we had lived in any given town for years.

The power did not seem like much to me at first, but soon after my change I had discovered how truly powerful it was. Some vampires discover their talents by mistakenly using it on others. Leave it to me to be my own first victim. According to Carlisle, if I concentrated hard enough on forgetting a memory I could forget it completely, never to get it back again unless I pulled it from some other source that carried the same recollection. I had been so distraught over the events that took place before Edward agreed to change me that I had basically begged myself to forget. Well, wish granted.

As I stared out of the glass wall of our bedroom, I could feel Edward walk up behind me before I heard him. Even with my new amazing vampire hearing he still managed to sneak up on me. "What are you thinking?" he asked, slipping his arm around my waist and pulling me close to his chest. "Just thinking of what a beautiful sunrise it was, and how lucky I am to be here with you," I lied. Truly, I was thinking about how I wanted to not look like a newborn anymore. How I wanted golden eyes to match Edward's and the rest of the family. To look like a true Cullen.

"Hmmm, you're right about the sunrise. Maybe we should go hunting and take advantage of the morning before Alice gets a hold of you for more wedding plans?" Ugh. If there was anything that could get me to run away at full vampire speed, it was my own personal wedding planner. As deeply as I loved my future sister, controlling her plans for my upcoming wedding was probably one of my biggest battles. And I knew it was a lost battle before it even began. It was mere moments after Edward proposed that I got the first phone call from her.

"Oh my God, Bella – I can't believe he was able to get this by me!! We have so much to do, so much to plan. Your dress! Oh, thank goodness Jasper and I are in Paris. The new styles are just coming out, but I think something custom made would be better. Don't you? And the flowers, we need to decide which ones will be in season, and to coordinate with the wedding party colors. So why haven't you two decided on a date? I can't see what the weather will be yet and that will be crucial to the location and most of the details. So what do you think?" "Alice," I said, "we've only been engaged for five minutes. Do you think I can adjust to that before I start thinking about what flowers are in season?" She reluctantly agreed to hold off any further conversations about the wedding until she and Jasper were back from their vacation, and I reluctantly agreed to give her the title of official wedding planner. God help anyone who crossed her now. And so began my happily ever after.


	2. Chapter 02 Terrifed to Forget

**A/N: This is chapter 2 of my version of the sequel to "Healing Her Wounds." The wonderful characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer and the original that inspired me is the ingenious work of Raine Delmont. **

**BPOV**

Alice had decided that the wedding should take place in Forks, the place where Edward and I met, and in the meadow where Edward and I had spent so much time. She had instructed Esme to design a beautiful, small chapel for the ceremony, and had forced Carlisle, Emmett, Jasper, and Edward to volunteer their services to construct it.

Edward turned me to face him and lowered his face to mine. His lips gently brushed my nose and each of my cheeks before his lips found mine. No matter how many times he kissed me I would never get used to the electricity it sent through my body. "Let's go," he said, flashing me his crooked grin. When he smiled like that at me I would pretty much agree to anything.

We ran east for a while, just enjoying the rush of the wind and the sounds of the woodland creatures that were brave enough to be in hearing distance of us. Running with Edward made me feel so free, so alive. After a long stretch of dense trees we caught the scent of some mountain lions, Edward's favorite. I had taken a liking to them as well, they tasted so much better than the deer and elk that Edward had me start out with after my change. I think it scared him to think of me with anything that could be considered dangerous to a human. After all, he was used to protecting me, not watching me handle predators as though they were children's toys. It was getting easier for him, though. Once we had both satisfied ourselves with our prey we decided to go to our meadow. Edward said he wanted to show me the progress on the chapel, and I was happy to oblige. I was even happier to prolong my next shopping trip with Alice to yet another florist or rental company.

As would happen often, my thoughts turned to Allie. She had been gone a year now, although I could not remember any details about how that happened. I'm sure my face must have reflected my thoughts, because Edward soon asked "Are you thinking about Mike again?" He never asked this in an accusatory way, just in understanding of the sad confusion I felt. He of all people knew that I never loved Mike. I was aware that I was forced into marrying him after being forced upon by him, resulting in our daughter. At the time it didn't really matter to me who I was with if it wasn't Edward. "How can I truly think about someone whom I know nothing about?" I whispered, my gaze drifting down to my hand, back to my ring. "I can't even remember his face."

"I doubt you'd want to," Edward reassured me, his hand sliding slowly down the length of my back. A pleasant shiver ran down my spine in reaction to his touch. "He was an ugly person, Bella, inside and out. I'm still trying to get him out of my head."

"I was thinking about Allie, actually." A new kind of understanding look came over Edward then. "Sometimes I feel like I need to remember what happened to her, but at the same time I'm scared."

"Bella," Edward said tenderly, "you don't need to torture yourself like that. You know in your heart that terrible things were done, and that your mind chose not to remember to protect you. I cannot bear to see you go through that pain again when there is no need."

"Tell me," I said. "Tell me again about when you met her." I loved the story of how Allie fell in love with Edward instantly. She had taken to the Cullens as if she were born into that family instead of to a cruel father that never loved her. I loved the way Edward was with her, willing to do almost anything just to win a smile from her. "Okay love, if you wish."

We sat in the meadow and I listened to happy stories about the only other female that had captured Edward's heart. I loved to hear about the afternoon that Allie met Edward and Auntie Alice. Edward actually ate almost a whole bowl of ice cream just to see Allie smile. I knew it was less than appetizing and that he would have to throw it up later, but he didn't even flinch because it was what she wanted. She knew instinctively that she was safe with him, that he loved her as if she was his.

"Feeling a little better, love?" Edward asked. "Yes, for now. Thank you." I looked deep into his eyes and reached up and stroked the side of his beautiful face with my hands before pulling him down to me so our lips could meet. As was his signature move, he started kissing me gently at first, then building up momentum until both of us were lost in our own world. Our kisses became more intense as he pulled me on top of him in the tall grass of our meadow. I remembered kissing him as a human, and this was so far from that. He didn't have to exercise control anymore. We could both let our passion lead us wherever it needed to.

Slowly he ran one of his hands down the side of my blouse while the other hand gently cradled my face against his. Slowly he raised his eyes to mine and whispered, "Bella, you are so beautiful." I smiled and that seemed to inspire him to continue on his journey down past my hip, then slowly on to the inside of my thigh. I couldn't help but let a little moan escape my lips. "Oh, Edward…" That seemed to ignite more passion, and the next thing I knew my blouse and his Polo shirt were all but wayward pieces of fabric about 4 feet away from us. My hands found their way across Edward's chiseled abdomen, enjoying the feel of his shape as it moved to get as close as possible to mine.

Swiftly Edward managed to negotiate the rest of our clothing safely off to the side, somehow remaining aware that we needed a few things to wear when we returned to the house. As I lay there in his arms, nothing between us, I could only concentrate on the feel of his skin against mine, one of his arms around my bare waist, the other exploring the contours of my breast, moaning slightly as his hand rubbed over my aroused nipple. Our lips never separated, our tongues eagerly exploring each other's mouths, our legs intertwined. I ran one of my hands down the side of his body, pausing at the spot where his thigh met his torso.

I could tell from the pressure against my abdomen that Edward wanted me as much as I wanted him at that moment. Finally, when neither of us could wait any longer, Edward gently flipped us over, positioned himself over me and brought our bodies together as one. Nothing ever felt so natural to me, so in sync. When we made love our bodies moved together as if we were simply two pieces of a puzzle, perfectly matched. The rhythm and movement continued until our simultaneous release, and we held each other for an hour, just enjoying the pure bliss and tranquility of our meadow. We would have been happy to stay there all day if it weren't for one thing. We were no longer alone.

OK – a little cliffie. More tomorrow! Please review – good or bad! I can take it. 


	3. Chapter 03 An Old Friend

**A/N: These amazing characters all belong to the creative brilliance of Stephenie Meyer. It's our love for them that keeps them doing different things! **

**BPOV**

………we held each other for an hour, just enjoying the pure bliss and tranquility of our meadow. We would have been happy to stay there all day if it weren't for one thing. We were no longer alone.

"Alice," Edward said, and I knew exactly what he meant.

Quickly we scrambled into our clothes, although from the condition of them it was quite obvious what we had been up to. Just as I managed to get my blouse wrapped around myself, Alice came bounding out of the forest, making a bee line to where we stood.

"Isabella soon-to-be Cullen!" she admonished, shaking a pixie finger at me. "Don't you know how much work there is to do before the big day? I can handle most of it, but it would be nice to have the bride's participation, you know!"

"Sorry, Alice," I said, putting on my best guilty face. "Edward and I were just….checking out the chapel and making sure it was on schedule." Edward gave me a look that said he was impressed with my fast thinking. Alice didn't buy it, though.

"Look, whatever you were up to, I need you to go make yourselves presentable. We're meeting with a very reputable photographer today, and I need to make sure he is up to the job by doing your engagement photo." She gave us a look that dared either of us to argue, which wasn't about to happen. Well, at least I would have Edward with me for today's adventure.

"I've already picked out your clothes and they're laid out for you on your bed." She added after a moment's thought, "Shall I assume that you don't need a chaperone and that I can trust you to get ready quickly so we are not late?" Edward and I glanced at each other and if I could have blushed I would have been a lovely shade of crimson. "No problem, Alice," Edward assured her. "Yeah, sure, no problem," I added. She really could be an annoying little pixie when she wanted to.

The visit to the photographer's went fine, unless you count the number of times we had to re-shoot because Edward was too tempted to tickle me, kiss my neck, or whisper something to make me laugh. Once he had sufficiently succeeded at infuriating Alice, it was over fairly quickly. The photographer had completely charmed Alice with his patience and the fact that he let her dictate every pose. He further impressed her by complimenting every idea she had for the ceremony, formals, and reception candids. This man apparently had enough experience with bridezillas to handle Alice, and I had to admire him for that.

When we arrived back home, everyone was going about their favorite pastimes. Carlisle was in his study doing some research on a new medical procedure that he wanted the Board to consider offering at the hospital. Esme was putting the finishing touches on a design for an old building she had found outside the property line. Rose was tuning her BMW for the second time this month, and Jasper and Emmett were playing video games on the giant TV. Every time Emmett would get excited about being ahead, Jasper would send a wave of anxiety his way and Emmett would second guess his next moves, allowing Jasper to pull into the lead. Alice raced upstairs, after giving Jasper a peck on the cheek, to update her paperwork for the wedding.

Edward took my hand, heading toward the piano, and I was happy to curl up in the chair near him and listen to him play. After a few songs I didn't recognize, he looked over at me with his smoldering eyes and began playing my lullaby. I smiled sweetly at him, and thanked God for whatever I had done right in a previous life to deserve the love and adoration that emanated from every fiber of his being when he looked at me that way.

After Edward finished playing, he gave a slight nod of his head, letting me know that he wanted some alone time with me upstairs. Not that we spent all of our spare time making love (although the idea wasn't all that bad), because much of the time we spent just reading, talking, or listening to some new music. Just enjoying each other's company was enough, and I wondered to myself if all couples enjoyed each other the way we did.

Emmett, however, never missed an opportunity to make an innuendo about the goings on in our bedroom. He remembered very well the first few years after he became a vampire and his absolutely insatiable desire for Rosalie. Of course he assumed the same was true for me now and that all I could possibly be thinking about 24 hours a day was sex, sex, sex. I thought Edward was going to snap one day when Emmett accused us of having "Sex Ed-ward" classes during the day without a proper instructor, and did we need him to teach us anything? After that, if we went upstairs during daylight hours we usually snuck up separately to avoid being subjected to Emmett's hilarious commentary.

"I'm going to go ask Rose if she can check the Volvo's tire pressure and fluids for me after she finishes the BMW," Edward said as he stood and gave me a wink. "Okay," I said, "I think I'll finish putting away Alice's latest wardrobe additions to my closet," and winked right back. We could both relax in our room in just a matter of seconds, Emmett being none the wiser.

Edward climbed up the side of the house and sprang into our room, gently landing on the bed beside me, resting his head on my shoulder and placing his hand around my waist. A book was in my hand already. I was reading my Jane Austen compilation again, although by now my photographic memory had memorized each word and on which page to find it. I found it comforting, though, to re-read this book the way I did when I was human, still being able to feel the same enjoyment it brought me then.

I turned to face him, his head lifting instantly from my shoulder. I stared into his golden eyes, filled with concern now. I could always tell when he wanted to talk about something less than pleasant, involving my past. He was so cautious, always worried he would say the wrong thing. But there was one thing he very much wanted me to do for him, and it was torture for me to deny him anything that he wanted.

Edward had explained before that it would be very easy for me to make him forget Mike. He didn't want to have to remember the pain he watched me go through, or the suffering that Allie experienced at Mike's hands. We had had this discussion a few times recently, but some internal pull made me stand my ground. Taking a leap and assuming where this conversation was going, I began. "If I help you forget," my words slow and measured, "Then everyone else will want to forget him. I can't refuse them if I don't refuse you. When everyone forgets, then no one can ever help me remember."

He carefully considered my feelings on the matter, taking what I said very seriously. His beautiful eyes held a deep sense of sadness and regret that I had the power to remove, yet I could not shake the feeling that I needed him to be able to remember, for more than just my sake. "Bella," he breathed. His breath and his stare still dazzled me, even as a vampire. "You know that you cannot possibly be happy remembering Mike Newton." "Yes, I know, Edward. But I need more time before I can deal with the knowledge of those memories being gone forever. I feel like as long as I know all of the memories exist somewhere, then so does a piece of Allie. It's not just about Mike, Edward. If it were, then there would be no question."

"Part of me still wants to know what happened to her..." I whispered, my eyes dropping to the sheets of our bed. Golden, like his eyes.

His hand, once cold, was now warm as it cupped my chin, tilting my head up so he could gaze into my eyes. "Remember Allie. Remember her as the happy girl that she was. You don't need to see the things that happened to her. No good will come from it."

I knew he would never change his views on that, just as I could not bring myself to erase those memories forever. Our discussion ended as the previous ones had. Neither of us surrendered, and we both knew that the subject would be revisited at some other time. Edward never let the conversation get to the point of making me unnecessarily upset.

I sighed. He leaned forward, his lips tickling mine as he spoke swiftly, "Bella, I love you. If I thought I was causing you any harm in keeping this from you, then I wouldn't do it. It will only hurt you to see everything that he did."

His lips pressed against mine, parting invitingly, in a way that we had never explored when I was still a human. My hands automatically twisted into his hair – my reactions still a bit unexpected to the both of us. He responded, his arms wrapping around my waist and crushing me to him. It was unlike anything else to be held by him with his full strength. To be able to kiss without need for air.

Slowly, he pulled away. A soft moan of protest escaped my lips and he chuckled in response, "I will never do anything to cause you harm ever again, Bella."

"No matter how much I beg?" I teased, smiling up at him with my most seductive glance through my eyelashes.

"Beg away. I could listen to you forever," He whispered, pulling me back against him as he settled back onto the pillow.

"I'm afraid at this point you will have to. You're pretty stuck with me now."

"That's what I'm banking on, love." he laid kisses into my hair, his laughter still present.

At that moment, the mood in the room changed faster than lightening. "Edward!" Alice said from downstairs. Immediately Edward froze beside me, his entire body tense.

"What is it?" I asked, nervously grabbing for his hand with my own. "Alice can't see anything," he replied. "She's being blinded by something outside." Immediately we headed for the stairs to see what was wrong. The entire family was gathered in the living room, not knowing what could be so powerful to deprive Alice of any view of the future. I smiled to myself when I saw Emmett's confused look when Edward and I arrived together from upstairs.

A protective growl rumbled low through Edward's chest and he pulled me closer to him. "There's a wolf out there."

**Oooohhh……can you guess who it is??? Please review! Send me love, hate, whatever…. Just send!!**


	4. Chapter 04 Broken Promise

**A/N: Stephenie Meyer totally owns these amazing characters. I just love them too much to let them stand still! ******

**BPOV**

The room was silent as I tried to figure out what Edward meant. Okay, so there was a wolf outside. So why was that a threat? Didn't we handle predators like mountain lions and grizzly bears without incident? A lonely wolf brazen enough to come close to the house should be no problem for 8 vampires. Was there more than just one, I wondered? Why was everyone suddenly so worried?

"Edward?" I whispered, starting to feel anxious myself, "What's wrong? What do you mean, a wolf?"

"A werewolf," he explained further. I couldn't help but gasp, even without the need for air.

"A werewolf? You're telling me that _werewolves actually exist_?" I was waiting for the punch line here.

A few of the Cullens couldn't help themselves but chuckle under their breath at my question. Edward just looked at me lovingly, and replied, "Yes, my beautiful vampire." Oh. Right.

"Bella," he said very concerned now, "I think you may know this werewolf."

"What?" Edward must be confused. I certainly didn't know any werewolves. I hadn't been a vampire long enough to make any other uh….… new friends.

"It's Jacob Black, Bella." Edward held his arm around my waist in case I needed the support. Upon hearing Jacob's name I had to admit I felt a little weak despite my physical strength.

Edward sighed and took my hand securely in his as we walked towards the front door. I could see a man standing outside the Cullens' house, looking angry and anxious. I recognized him after a moment as Jacob. He had grown so large since the last time I saw him!

Jacob. My Jacob was now a werewolf? What in the world was going on? Edward had a point - I guess the existence of vampires should have made this a bit more acceptable, but it just didn't. Even after hearing the old legends from Jacob that day on the beach when I began to discover Edward's secret, it never occurred to me that the other part of the stories could be true. Duh, Bella! If the vampire stories were true, then why not the wolves? In one corner of my mind I made a mental note to ask Edward about leprechauns later.

So many questions entered my mind in the last two seconds. Did Billy know? Was this some kind of coming-of-age thing in LaPush? Did Jacob expect this to happen someday, or was he surprised? Was Charlie safe around him? Did Charlie even know? What had Jacob been doing the past few years while I was living in hell with Mike? Was he happy? After our brief try at a relationship, this last question struck me as very important.

We stepped outside with the rest of the family, everyone on high alert for any unwelcome movement from our guest. We stood on the porch under cover from the rare sunlight that strewn across the lawn so as not to give the now trembling Jacob anything else to be upset about. How did he change into a wolf, I wondered? Did it hurt him at all? Now was not the time for me to start asking questions, obviously, but I was very curious as to why a coven of vampires were made so uncomfortable by one animal. An animal couldn't possibly have any hope of winning a fight against a vampire. That thought gave me a bit of peace for the safety of my new family, but made me worry that something could happen to Jacob if things got out of hand.

My Jacob.... my memories of him still stayed with me, although I don't know how aware Edward was of those memories. It was definitely for the best if he wasn't aware at all, and I found myself grateful once more that Edward's mind reading power didn't work on me.

My relationship with Jake reached its expiration date when we tried taking things to the next level of being together a few months after Edward left, just before senior prom. We never really recovered from the awkwardness of seeing each other naked, and me immediately realizing that we would never be more than best friends. Luckily I had the presence of mind to stop us before we did something we both would have regretted later. I shuddered even now to think of that day. Jake's expression was almost tortured, as if I had simply been leading him on and toying with his feelings, only to turn him down at the last moment. I'm sure it seemed to him as the cruelest of jokes at the time, and with good reason.

Edward's absence left a gaping hole in my entire being, and I hoped beyond hope that Jacob was the answer to that emptiness. I never wanted to hurt him, but I knew being with him that way was bad for both of us. I think deep down he knew that, but even that fact couldn't salvage our friendship and bring us back to where we were before. His last words to me had cut me like a knife. "Bella, you know why you can't do this? It has nothing to do with our friendship, it's because of _**him!**_ He ran away from you, Bella - and I'm the one who stuck by you and picked up the pieces!

"I thought we would have a future together, now that all of the leeches are gone - a future you deserved, not one you would be condemned to!" With that he stormed out of Charlie's house and took off in his Volkswagen Rabbit. None of my calls were returned after that, and none of the notes I passed through Charlie and Billy got any response. I remember deciding then that I would never let myself get emotionally involved with anyone that could hurt me again....

"Bella?" Jacob almost whispered. "Bella, what did they do to you?" The sound of the horror in his voice made me tremble as though I would shatter at a mere touch. Edward took a protective stance in front of me and I was glad to have him so close. If I could just concentrate on him and tell myself that everything would be okay, then it would have to be, right?

Jake had asked me a question. Could I answer him? I had to try. "J - Jake?" was all I managed to mumble.

I knew it wasn't an answer, or what he wanted to hear (my new voice was something to get used to), but I just couldn't say anything else. It was obvious that he was disgusted by my new sound and appearance, and he felt the friend he once had was gone forever. I looked at Edward, not sure of what to do, and saw him studying Jake. He was trying to hear something – Jacob's intentions, maybe? What caused the animosity in his eyes?

Again, Jacob demanded "Bella, what did they do?" He was visibly shaking now, his anger controlling all of his movements.

I still couldn't speak. Of course, Emmett did not have the same problem. He answered Jake with a growl of his own, "We helped her, dog."

"Helped her?" Jacob repeated. "You call this...helping her? You turned her into a monster! You made her one of you!"

Somewhere inside me I found the strength to finally answer Jake. "It was what I wanted, Jake!" I shouted.

I needed to get closer to Jake to make him understand that I was still the same person, still the same Bella. I tried to move forward, but Edward held me in place, again trying to protect me from whatever he knew Jake was capable of. I shot him a look to convince him to release me, but he just said "I can't live without you.... I can't lose you."

Of course I felt the same way, and assumed that he was just going into overprotective mode, but the look of fear in his eyes halted my efforts to move away from him. I realized then that even though I felt like the same Bella, Jake was no longer My Jacob. I remembered what Jacob had told me that day so long ago on the beach, about the two "clans" being mortal enemies. The transformations that had taken place in each of us now put us on opposite sides of that spectrum, and Jacob and I would not be able to overcome such a deep set prophecy.

"So because she asked you, that allows your conscience to kill her?" Jake asked, incredulously. Edward seemed to be reading something else that Jake was thinking, because he continued talking to him. "She had a husband who beat her, not a family. She had a daughter who was killed at the hands of that same husband." Edward growled while he tried to get my former best friend to understand how terrible my human life had become after he left me.

"It had to be better than this life." Jake stated coldly. "Better than becoming a leech! Anything is better than what you've done to her."

No. This was wrong. He was wrong. I would not let him be mad at the Cullens after they had made it their mission in the past few months to make me happy and whole again, part of a real family. If this was about me, then he had to understand that I was happy now.

I couldn't stay quiet anymore. "Try being married to someone who beats you every day, rapes you, and murders the child that you carried and cared for its entire, short life." I sobbed. "Try being helpless from protecting yourself from that person, like I was every day for years, and tell me that this," gesturing to my indestructible, beautiful, happier new self, "isn't better."

I didn't understand what could have him so angry, so angered that every muscle in his huge body seemed to shake with animosity. Was Jacob that upset that I had decided to marry Edward after everything that had happened? Was he set on getting some kind of jealous revenge? I knew about the treaty that kept all of the Cullens off of Quileute land, and none of the Cullens had ever violated that agreement to the best of my knowledge. It just didn't make sense. As I listened to more of the conversation, though, the reason became quite clear......

**Jake's POV to be posted very soon. Please, please review!! It's easy – just hit the button! Thank you!! ******


	5. Chapter 05 Conflict

**A/N: These wonderful characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. She is just nice enough to let me borrow them for a while!**

**A shorter chapter than usual, but only because the next chapter is Jacob's turn….**

**BPOV**

Jacob had a look of sympathy in his eyes for a moment as he considered what I had gone through. "I am sorry about what happened to you, Bella, you have to believe that." he said softly. "But that doesn't change anything." He now looked directly at Edward, seething. "You violated the treaty!" Jacob screamed. "You bit a human!"

I quickly realized that there was more to the treaty than just the rules against hunting humans and trespassing on Quileute land. The Cullens were not supposed to create more of their kind - our kind. They had gone against that part of the treaty because I had begged for it, because I could not survive the knowledge that someday I would have to leave Edward behind while I went wherever I was going in the afterlife. So, in that respect, Jacob was right. The treaty had been broken.

"So, Jacob," Carlisle began to calmly search for answers as to Jacob's purpose. "As the rightful Chief of the Quileutes, and leader of the Protectors now, have you made your decision as to how you will proceed?" Carlisle wasn't disagreeing with Jacob's assessment of the situation, and I gave Edward a questioning look. He turned his face toward me and whispered, "Carlisle needs to keep things civil so that Jacob doesn't phase. If he does then it will be more difficult for them to communicate. My mind reading abilities could help to interpret, but Jacob may not appreciate my involvement."

It struck me as odd that Alice couldn't see when a werewolf was around, but Edward could hear his thoughts. Apparently, they (or Jacob, anyway) weren't immune to all vampire abilities, only some. I couldn't shake the feeling that this was important, but I couldn't place my finger on why.

"I came here to see for myself what the other members of my pack were claiming." Jacob stated matter-of-factly. "So the predictions from so long ago were right, then – bloodsuckers can't hold up their end of the bargain, and now _I'm_ supposed to decide whether or not to declare a war." Jacob snorted, and looked directly at me when he said this. I knew from the pain that showed in his eyes that, as much as he hated to see me like this, it was even worse for him to have to be the one to decide what to do about it.

"Jacob, you can't be serious," I pleaded with him. "This is my family, my life!"

"Bella, these leeches that you call 'family' made their own bed. They are the ones who negotiated the treaty decades ago, and you can't expect me to just look the other way. My family – a true family, I might add – and the future of my tribe rely on my judgment now to uphold the law."

"The law, Jake? Isn't it the leader who makes the laws?" Jacob just shook his head, still glaring at me. "Then answer Carlisle's question, Jake." I fumed. What exactly do you plan to do now?"

He looked deep into my eyes for the first time, and for a moment I saw my friend, before we made the mistake of trying a romantic relationship, before Mike, before werewolves. It seemed like he was making the connection that whatever fate his tribe decided for the Cullens, it would also include me. He knew from my tone and my stance that I would fight not ony with them, but for each of them.

His reply was cold, but calm. "I don't' know."

Edward spoke then. "Jacob, this is not a situation that the treaty took into consideration. Bella is not a victim here, and I think you know that."

Jake considered Edward's statement for a moment, then glared at him as he spoke. "You know, every time Bella cried over you, every time she wrapped her arms around her waist to hold her insides together, every time I wished there was some life left in her eyes, I promised myself that if I ever had the chance to destroy you, I would. You took her life long before you turned her into a monster, leech."

"Would you destroy her then, also?" Rosalie spoke up for the first time. "You claim to have cared about her, yet where were you when she lived in hell? Where were you when she needed to be rescued and you were only a few miles away - busy giving yourself a flea bath?"

Jake ignored Rosalie, but spoke directly towards me. "Bella will have a choice. If it comes to a fight, she will be considered innocent unless she fights with you. If she chooses to fight, then I will not be able to allow my brothers and sisters to be harmed by her." I could feel Edward flinch beside me. I'm sure he knew where my decision would lie, and that he would never convince me to sit out while everyone else defended our family.

"I think you need to leave now, mongrel, before we make your decision for you." Emmett said. He was reaching his limits of patience, as were Edward and Rose. Carlisle, of course, remained calm, and Esme stood next to him looking as though she could cry. Alice and Jasper held hands, both seeming to just take everything in, analyzing it in their own way. And me…. well I was just numb.

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	6. Chapter 06 Choices

**A/N: These wonderful characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. **

**My longest chapter so far, for those of you who wanted to hear from Jacob……**

**JPOV**

Blondie and her boyfriend were starting to get on my nerves, and for the first time ever I couldn't stand to be near Bella anymore. So I just started running. About fifty feet into the forest, I phased. Well, so much for those sneakers. Dad's gonna be pissed, but oh well. Sometimes life is full of disappointments.

She's really a vampire – what the hell?! I keep remembering the emptiness that she told me about after he left her. She said it was like having a great big hole in her middle and the edges were just a jagged, bleeding wall of the crevice. I guess I never understood what she meant by that, until now. It was like every hope I ever had of us being together, or at least being best friends again, was gone. All that was left was the hole. A pretty jagged one, too.

This just sucks. No other way to put it. So, first she gets knocked up by that joke Mike Newton, marries him, and then she chooses to be a bloodsucker over being with me? What the hell did I ever do besides love her the way she deserved? Couldn't she see that? Even though she couldn't handle the physical stuff with me, I know I'd have made her happier than _him_. And if she thinks I didn't see that ring on her finger, she's wrong there, too. I can hear the leech proposing now – 'Hey baby, as long as we're going to run around sucking blood together for eternity, why not make it legal?' What a freakin' mess this is.

_Sam? _ I called in my head.

_Yeah, Jake, I'm here._ Obviously Sam didn't trust the leeches, either. He was waiting for me just outside the forest line, just in case anything weird went down.

_Good. Listen, we're meeting tonight. Tell everyone to be there, no exceptions. This one's important._

_Jake, man, what happened at the Cullens?_

_We'll talk about it at the meeting. Don't be late. _ The last thing I wanted was to have to repeat myself on this subject.

I just ran for a while to clear my head and feel like I had control over something. As much as I hated myself for it, I still cared about her so much it hurt. She still seemed like my Bella. Her looks were a little different, especially the eyes, and her voice was pretty freaky, but she still seemed to be in there. Yeah – I could just see it now. She probably qualified as the world's clumsiest vampire. Ha!

It was stupid to even imagine that there would be hope for us being together now, even as friends, but I just couldn't stop myself from trying to think of a way. Maybe I could just steal her and run. Play a little 'capture the vampire' game, but not allow them to come and get their flag back. But crap, she actually _wants_ to be with them. Stop being an idiot, Jake! What if I gave her the chance to save her vampires from a war by agreeing to come with me? I could order a truce, or a new treaty, and she and I could…..yeah, like that would end well. She'd just think I was goddamn Mr. Wonderful then.

I wasn't in a rush to go home and play 20 questions with Billy, but I needed clothes before the meeting. Of course, he was ready for me, just waiting to pounce. I caught him looking at my bare feet, and raised an eyebrow as if to say 'are you really gonna go there?'

"So I hear we meet tonight about the Cullens?" he asked, as if he didn't already know that for a fact.

"Yeah." I couldn't keep the scowl off my face when I thought about it.

"You made any decisions on your part yet?" he asked.

"Nothing that will make sense to anyone."

"Hmmm," Billy sighed. Okay, here we go..

"You know, I like to think I know the entire history of the Quileutes, Jacob, and I don't think there has ever been a leader that has had to make this kind of decision, even your great-grandfather, Ephraim. I can see the conflict in your eyes, and I understand. Don't be ashamed; a sign of a true leader is making a decision that results from both sides being seen, and this is a very grave matter you are dealing with."

Great, now I feel _so_ much better. I started shaking my head while I tried to figure a way out of this. "Why didn't they realize it would be better if they just stayed away and never came back?"

"Better for who, Jake?" Billy asked. What the hell did he mean by that?

"Huh?" was my intelligent response.

"I've talked to Charlie a lot over the past few months. It was hard for him to open up about this, but I was patient and I learned some things that you need to know. I don't think you realize the extent of physical and emotional damage that husband of Bella's did to her. I can tell you Charlie had no idea. If he did, that Newton kid wouldn't have lived as long as he did. And it took Charlie by complete surprise to find out that it was Edward Cullen who got Bella away from Mike. The sad part is that he was just short of saving her little girl, too.

"I know she hurt you, son. But she hurt you honestly. There's a big difference between her being up front about her feelings with you and the intentional cruelty that was forced on her."

"Yeah, they told me something about that. But does that really let them off the hook for breaking the treaty?"

"That will ultimately be your decision, Jake, and I know you won't take the responsibility lightly. If you want an old man's advice, I think you need to consider the two basic aspects of the treaty."

What other aspects are there, except staying the hell off our land and keeping their fangs to themselves?

"Ephraim's treaty with the Cullens was meant to protect life and ensure peace among all peaceful beings. Any leader of the tribe needs to interpret and act upon those intentions in the best way they know how. I'm not saying it's all black and white."

"But do you think Ephraim had any idea that they would be doing favors for humans by turning them into vampires if they asked?"

"Just think about what I said, Jacob. Then think about what you just said." And with that the old man wheeled himself into his room to rest before the meeting.

What the hell was I thinking? I should have let Sam be the chief, and then this would all be on his shoulders, with me standing by and just following commands, taking orders like a soldier. I don't know if I could just stand by, though. I had to admit the old man got me thinking a little. As if my head wasn't about to explode already.

---------------------------------------

Billy and I got to the meeting on time. The wind wasn't too bad, and the fire made everything look warm and toasty. Like we were all just sitting around on a camping trip, getting ready to toast marshmallows or something. I saw Harry, Quil, Embry, Sam, Jared and Paul all looking like they were expecting some great revelation to be announced. Emily was there with Sam, holding his hand in both of hers, but she just looked worried.

It looked like everyone showed up, except for Leah. She was the last one to change, and now she was all worked up about the rumors of who her real father might be. Fine by me if she wanted to stay away, she could be annoying as hell, especially when she was in wolf form. I never expected to see that much of Sam and her together in my head - ugh, why did I have to just think about that?

Everyone was in human form, since Billy and Harry couldn't phase and use our little mind trick. I took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to even start this meeting. What was I supposed to say? Just throw it out there, I guess, and see what happens.

"I went to the Cullen's today," I started, "and it looks like they did bite a human - Bella." I heard a couple of gasps and a couple of swears being mumbled. "So, I guess now I'm open to hearing everyone's thoughts about what should happen next." This could at least buy me some time, and maybe someone actually had a decent idea that I could live with. And that Bella could live with.

"Jake," Billy spoke first. "I think it's important for everyone to know that this was not an act of violence."

"Billy, you can't be serious." Harry almost laughed. "How is turning a human into a vampire not a violent act?"

"When the human wants it to happen." Billy said, calmly. I looked around and saw six men looking like a herd of deer caught in headlights.

"That's crazy!" Quil shouted. "I can't believe Bella would want to be one of them."

"No, it's actually true." I said, staring into the fire. "She didn't want to be human anymore because her life was pretty much hell the past few years. So now she seems to think this is a better option."

Embry spoke up. "A better option than what? Wasn't that loser husband of hers killed or something? She could have put her life back together now."

"And she's still with the one called Edward?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it looks like they're back together. I'm assuming that he's the one that....bit her." I shivered, even though I hadn't been cold in months.

"Jake, I don't care if they only hunt animals, or whatever they think makes them special. We can't let them keep making more monsters on our watch. What happens when they outnumber us? What happens if some of them decide that they are sick of their 'diet' and want human blood?" Sam had a point there, I suppose. "If one of them has a moment of weakness, and someone gets killed, that blood is on us. We're no less guilty than them, because we allowed them to get out of control."

I looked at Billy, hoping he could add something that would help me. He just looked at me as though he knew I would say something smart. Yeah, no chance of that happening soon.

"Jared, Paul, you guys have anything to say?" I wanted everyone's opinion, and they had been really quiet.

"I dunno, Jake. I mean, how much trouble has this actually caused anyone?" Jared obviously was not as hyped up as Sam.

"That's not the issue." Sam snapped. "We need to decide if the treaty is broken and action needs to be taken." There was no hesitation in his voice. It was obvious where he stood.

"I'll go along with whatever you guys decide, I guess." Jared said sheepishly. I wanted to smack him.

Then it was Paul's turn. "I'm with Sam. We can't let them think that they can just multiply and live happily ever after. Turning a human, even a willing human, can't go on without consequences. We need to take action against them. I don't want them to think they are giving the gift of immortality to people without paying dearly for it, or they'll end up creating an army of vampires."

"I agree." Harry said, nodding. I saw Billy give him a pissed off look from the corner of my eye.

"So what are we talking about doing, exactly?" Embry looked a little queasy as he realized he might be asked to fight with the pack. He had only been a wolf for a few months, and just thought that phasing was something cool to do when there was nothing good on HBO.

"We would have to destroy them, and then we could go back to living in peace, without the threat of them always being around." Paul said.

"Guys, let's not jump the gun here, okay?" Something just occurred to me. "We don't really have to declare war, just teach them a lesson. If we take out the one who turned Bella, then their numbers haven't increased and we've let them know we won't tolerate any more vampires in the area." And if I take Edward out of the picture, then maybe eventually Bella would forgive me and we could salvage our friendship. Maybe?

Billy looked at me totally stunned, as if I had just grown feathers and flapped my wings. "Jacob, are you listening to yourself? The Cullens consider themselves a family. They won't tolerate one of their own being massacred and look the other way. They will all fight together, and I have a feeling Bella will fight with them. Are you prepared for the result of your actions if that happens?"

Crap. This was exactly the kind of logic I didn't need right now. "Yeah, you're probably right." I said. And I knew it was true. If Bella knew that I had either killed Edward myself or allowed it to happen, she would hunt me down herself and then I would have to... no, I couldn't think about that. I was starting to feel the pressure of everyone's eyes on me and looking for an answer. An answer I didn't have. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I decided to chicken out (here come those feathers) and put it to a vote. Let the majority decide.

"We're a family, too. I want to do what's best for the tribe, and I think it needs to be put to a vote. We'll vote on whether to attack the Cullens or not. Yes or no."

Billy looked up at me with sad eyes, but seemed to be willing to go along with it. Everyone else just nodded in agreement.

"We'll start with Sam." I said.

"Yes." he said, without hesitation.

"No." said Embry.

"Yes." from Paul, as expected.

"Yes." from Harry

"No." That was Billy.

"Yes." from Jared - that one surprised me.

"No." from Quil - another surprise. He never went against Sam.

"No." a female voice. What? I turned around and saw Leah sitting on one of the rocks just a few feet away from us, apparently listening to it all. Well, I guess she gets a vote, too.

Oh, crap! Wait a minute, what the hell? I did the math again in my head. Are you freakin' kidding me? Oh, man, I may just kill Leah myself. She made it a tie, which meant I was the one to decide. I could feel the rage building up inside of me, my hands starting to tremble and my head felt like it would shoot off of my shoulders. Screw it, if my choice was to either watch the woman I loved live like a monster with other monsters, or rid my tribe of the threat that had been a burden for so long, then I was going to do what I could for my family.

"We do it." I barely got the words out before phasing and running off again.

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	7. Chapter 07 Unexpected Ally

**A/N: These wonderful characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. I may be borrowing them for a while, though… **

**Another long chapter. **

EPOV

Even though Alice could not see them, I didn't need her visions to know that the wolves would want to fight. Jacob's reaction to seeing Bella was a strong indicator, plus their nature was violent where our kind were concerned. Part of me couldn't blame them for their natural disposition towards us. The majority of the vampire world invited violence, even encouraged it.

I stepped out onto the porch just to stare into space for a while and try to figure out a way to avoid the bloodshed and agony that would be a result of a war with the wolves. It was after midnight, so the noises were limited to the few nocturnal creatures that roamed the nearby forest. I could hear one vehicle driving near the access road to our driveway. As I listened, curious, I was convinced the truck was turning intentionally, but also cautiously. Most likely the driver had lost their way, or some teenagers thought they found a good makeout hideaway.

Alice had decided to distract Bella with some more talk about the wedding, which wasn't really working. After all, it seemed like the plans they had been working so hard on would now be null and void, given the other events we were now anticipating.

One thing that concerned me was how this would affect Bella's mental state. Immortality had made her physically strong and able to suppress unpleasant memories, but her emotional health was still quite tentative at best. Not being able to recall specific memories was one thing, but Bella could still recall pain, anguish, and a sense of loss. Seeing her new family threatened by someone she loved and once trusted had to be devastating. I was fearful that seeing that threat turn into a battle could force her into catatonia, should she even survive.

No, it could not come to that. All of our lives were just starting to become normal and happy again, now that we were all together. There was really only one option. We had to leave Forks in order to continue our happiness and keep our family safe, and that was certainly a small price to pay. We could head back to the house in the White Mountains in New Hampshire. I knew Carlisle planned to suggest the idea soon, and everyone else had let it at least cross their minds. Nobody had said as much out loud, though, because the idea of leaving would not please Bella. Being that far away from Charlie and unable to keep an eye on him would upset her greatly, but she would have a much better chance of adjusting to that than to seeing the kind of resolution the wolves had in mind. If we stayed to fight, the chance of exposure was too great anyway, and the last thing any of us wanted was to raise the curiosity of the Volturi. I knew we could all be ready to leave in a matter of a few hours, minutes if that were ever necessary. It was time to talk to Carlisle and put a plan into action.

Before I could turn to walk back into the house, a pair of comforting arms slipped around my waist, hugging me to the most beautiful creature on the planet, who had apparently escaped the ramblings and attempted distractions of her future sister in law.

"Hello, Love," I said quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful surroundings of the night. She rested her head just under my chin and nuzzled softly into my neck as I put my arm around her shoulders and ran my fingers down the side of her arm. "So peaceful," she whispered, as if she could read my mind for a change. I had never seen her as content as she was in her new life, even before I was moronic enough to leave her. And the more she thrived, the more I began to see things that I had previously thought of as mundane in a totally new light. I had to admit, she was turning me into an optimist. It made my resolve to prevent any further sadness in her life even stronger.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, knowing of course that I had. "I think someone got lost on the highway and is trying to get turned around." I replied. We both turned our heads towards the long driveway, and were surprised when we heard the sound of the approaching vehicle. The driver's thoughts began to enter my head, and I thought for a moment that I must have been mistaken - this couldn't possibly be who it seemed. But it was, and apparently our dealings with the Quileutes for the day were not over yet.

Once I heard the thoughts of Billy Black, driving very slowly up our driveway, and knew his intentions, I instructed everyone else to stay inside the house so that he would not be caused any unnecessary anxiety. They could all listen and watch from the darkness inside the house, although to them it would look only slightly darker than noon time. The only ones that would be involved in this conversation were Bella, myself, and Jacob's father.

"Don't be afraid," I assured Bella. "He's just here to talk and find a solution to this mess. I'm right here beside you."

"I'm okay." she said calmly, giving my hand a squeeze as reassurance.

The gold Chevrolet pickup truck came to a stop 50 yards from the house. We carefully approached the driver's side, Bella's hand in mine, to greet our visitor. Bella seemed both wary of him and glad to see him at the same time. Of course, she had probably gotten to know him fairly well when she was spending so much time with Jacob in LaPush. It still made me sad and angry at myself to think of what she went through at that time because of me, but I couldn't let myself dwell on that right now.

I knew immediately by his scent that Billy was not a werewolf, and I wondered why that was. I could smell others' scents on him, but his own scent was too human.

"Good evening," Billy said, leaning out of the truck's window and nodding his head towards us. His eyes lingered on Bella, and I could hear him thinking that she looked much different than the last time he saw her. He also thought she looked...happy?....peaceful?....he couldn't really put a word to it.

"Hi Billy," Bella said with a sheepish smile on her face. "Good evening," I returned politely. "Thank you for coming to talk with us."

Momentarily confused by my comment, Billy tried to figure out whether I had somehow known he was coming. He had expected at least mild animosity when he first arrived, but now felt that his mission might be met with open mindedness and cooperation, which made him feel much more at ease.

"You may or may not be aware of this, but the tribe council held a meeting tonight to discuss the validity of the treaty, given uh…. recent events." He looked at Bella as he said this, and was trying pointedly to speak without offending anyone. "I've come here to talk to you about the outcome of that meeting and what might be done to prevent any further tragedies to either of our families."

"I understand. Please, continue." I was being careful not to enlighten him to my mind reading abilities just yet. I needed to know if he was being totally honest with us, and something told me he was. As soon as he mentioned the meeting, though, I knew pretty much what had transpired.

"The tribe discussed the aspects of the treaty, and the conditions that were agreed to so many years ago. Please understand that both sides were fairly represented at the meeting, and it was put to a vote as to whether or not action should be taken. It was not a unanimous decision, but it was voted to nullify the treaty."

I heard Bella breathing faster, an automatic reaction to stress. She obviously knew what this meant, as did I. Although Billy could not hear inside the house, conversations were already taking place about what this would mean for our future.

Bella surprised me by speaking up, slowly considering her question. "Billy, I think I understand what you're saying, but I need to know something."

"Yes, Bella?" Billy answered her.

"I need to know how Jacob voted."

Billy reacted as though that were the worst possible question anyone could have posed to him, and if he could have found a way to get out of answering it, he would have. Either way, I could hear him thinking the truth already.

"Bella, Jacob is the tribe leader. His decisions are based on the safety of his entire family and the heritage he has grown up with. If he…"

"I'm just looking for an answer, Billy." Bella meant business. "You are here, so that tells me something about where you stand in all of this, but I need to know where Jake stands."

"Okay, well….it was a tied vote, and Jacob was forced to choose the outcome. It was clear he didn't like to have to do it, though, and I'm sure you are the main reason for that."

"But he did it. He declared war on my family." Bella stared off into the forest as though searching for an explanation from the dense trees. "I never thought he would do this to me."

"Bella," I said. "Maybe you should go inside with the others. I can talk with Billy alone if you prefer."

"No. I'm not leaving your side." She said this with defiance, as if declaring her loyalties. I gave her hand a small squeeze and kissed her head. Apparently immortality does not affect someone's stubbornness.

"So, is there a plan, Billy?" I needed to get some details quickly if we were going to get all of the information we needed. Billy was starting to feel uncomfortable and I wasn't sure how much longer I would have to talk with him.

"They seem anxious to have it over as soon as possible, which is why I came tonight. They are all sleeping in order to prepare…" he trailed off. "I don't have an exact timeframe, but I would be willing to bet something happens within the next 24 hours."

"Then we will do what is necessary to protect both families in that timeframe." Carlisle spoke from the porch. "We should prepare to leave soon."

Billy frowned for a moment and his thoughts were disturbing. "I don't know if that will necessarily change things, Dr. Cullen."

"Oh? Why not?" Carlisle asked, walking a bit closer to the truck now, but keeping a non-threatening tone and stance.

"These boys have it in their heads that the treaty demands that someone be held responsible, and that perhaps ridding themselves of your family would relieve the entire tribe of a longstanding threat. In their minds you have committed murder, not just transformation. They have pretty much convinced Jake of it, too. I'm afraid that they will keep looking for you until they find you, never giving you peace until a war is started." Billy looked sad at this revelation, and it was obvious again how he felt about the way the younger tribe members were interpreting Ephraim's intentions. Being able to see inside his mind to his memories of the meeting, I also knew he was right about what the younger members intended. They were not going to rest until their own justice was done.

"OK, then, what would your recommendation be?" Carlisle asked.

"I'm not sure. One of the reasons I came here was because I was hoping you would have an idea. The treaty was not intended to deliver an end to any creature's existence, but to provide us with a guideline to living in peace. I wish there was an easy answer to all of this. I'd like nothing more than to just forget everything that has happened and continue living in peace."

Without even realizing it, Billy Black had just given us the hope we had all been praying for.

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	8. Chapter 08 Distraction

**A/N: These wonderful characters still belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm getting attached to them, though. Hope she doesn't mind. ;) **

BPOV

It seemed like there was no solution that could be reached easily, so Billy left after saying goodbye to Edward and Carlisle, and wishing us all well. I'm sure he would have said goodbye to me, too, but the way I sat on the porch with my head in my hands must have indicated that I wasn't really in the mood for pleasantries. I couldn't stop thinking about the awful events that were unfolding before our eyes.

Edward and I were alone again outside, and I wondered if he was feeling as outraged, as devastated, or as hopeless as I was. Our family was about to be hunted down to go to war with a bunch of adolescent werewolves, with my former best friend leading the way, and it was all my fault. If only I hadn't demanded that Edward change me so soon, maybe we could have found a way around the treaty and there would be nothing to start a war over. Maybe if I could have talked to Jacob before it was done, we could have gotten some kind of exemption or something. I doubted it, though.

As he slowly walked towards me I looked up to see his perfect face, and his expression puzzled me. He didn't look angry, or even sad. He had the same intense look of concentration on his face as when he and Alice played chess.

"Edward, are you okay?" I asked.

"Hmm? Yes, love." was all he replied, not looking at me, but staring at the tire tracks that Billy's truck had made in the ground. I watched him for a few moments, but he had stopped walking, and was just standing like a statue. Finally, my nerves had taken all they could. I needed to know what we were going to do, and how everyone inside was going to feel about all the trouble I was causing them.

"Edward? Please talk to me."

He looked up at me quickly, as if just realizing that I was there with him. "Bella, I'm sorry." He came over and put his arms around me then, cradling me to him. "This must be very stressful for you, but please try not to be upset." He lifted my chin to look into my eyes, which must have been revealing the terror I felt.

"You're joking, right? How can I not be upset?" I asked incredulously. "After hearing what the wolves are planning for us, and knowing that I'm the cause?"

"Bella, you are not the cause of this, not at all. Remember that this treaty goes back a long time, back to a completely different set of minds. Nothing you did made them come to this decision."

"I'm the one that insisted on being changed. Apparently that was enough of a reason for them."

Edward's gaze met mine, and I could feel the depth of his love to my very core. As to whether I deserved that love, well that was debatable at the moment. "Love, you need to understand that the young Quileutes who are making tribe decisions now play by a completely different set of rules when it comes to keeping peace. Their ancestors made treaties to resolve conflicts and avoid wars, and lived by a very high standard of ethics. The tribe today doesn't think treaties are necessary when you can eliminate a problem by force. Please believe that, although they are using your transformation as a catalyst, a war would have been declared anyway. They were simply waiting for an excuse to attack."

"I just can't bear the thought of losing anyone again. I still remember the feeling of loss so violently, even though the details are gone. I just don't know what to do." My tearless sobs made my entire body shake. "I feel helpless to do anything to save our family, and it's killing me, Edward."

Edward was quiet for a moment, keeping his arms around me and studying me as if I were a volcano about to erupt. Finally, he spoke. "Bella, you know we are going to do whatever it takes to avoid anyone being hurt. I need to talk to Carlisle and get his opinion on some things first, but I do have an idea that might avoid any violence."

"What is it?" I looked up and couldn't help but be slightly hopeful, although when Edward spoke he sounded as though he was torn between his idea and something else.

"I'm not ready to talk about it now, but I promise you will be the first to know once I've spoken to Carlisle." His voice was soft, and he seemed to be in the process of forming some plan. I found myself praying that whatever it was, it would work.

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Edward and Carlisle went running so that Edward could talk about his idea and get Carlisle's thoughts before he presented them to the whole family. Before he left, he brought me up to our room to try to get me to relax and listen to some music. He put on the CD that he made me of some of my favorite pieces that he composed on the piano. I had to admit it was working a little bit, I wasn't shaking any more.

They were back within 15 minutes, and when Edward walked into our room I thought I recognized the hint of a smile on his face. Without a word, he crawled across the bed and hovered over me, his eyes a smoldering dark topaz. Completely dazzled, I slowly wrapped my arms around his neck as he lay down on the bed next to me and began kissing my neck, working his way across my cheekbones and then finally touching his lips to mine.

I waited for Edward to begin telling me about his idea, but found myself quickly getting distracted and enjoying it. I found myself wanting two things very badly at that point. I wanted to just forget everything and be with Edward in a fierce way, and I wanted to know what he and Carlisle had discussed. The two things battled in my mind for a place as first priority as Edward continued kissing me, now working his way down between the buttons of my shirt.

"Edward?" I barely whispered.

"Yes, Bella?" he asked, not taking his lips off of my skin.

"Shouldn't we be talking right now instead of doing this?" There really wasn't a lot of conviction in my voice.

He just chuckled, and whispered reassuringly, "Everything is going to be fine, my angel. We can talk if you want, but I'm rather enjoying myself at the moment." And with that his tongue began tracing along the edge of my bra, sending my resolve somewhere over the rainbow.

Edward managed to finesse the buttons of my shirt with his teeth, and I was silently thankful that my bra hooked in the front as he swiftly undid the clasp, letting his hands and mouth fully explore my exposed breasts. Every nerve ending in my body was tingling and yearning for more, not wanting him to ever stop.

Slowly then, he worked his way down my torso, kissing my stomach as his hands grasped the waistband of my pants and slid them off of my legs one at a time and onto the floor, where his pants soon joined them. Looking at him kneeling in front of me, just his unbuttoned white shirt hanging off of him and nothing else, I had to wonder if there was ever a more perfect being on earth. As the shirt slid off of his shoulders and I could fully appreciate him, I knew the answer was no.

He hovered over me again, still kissing me lightly, parting my lips with a gentle sweep of his tongue. My mouth responded eagerly, wanting as much of him as I could get. I let my hands wander across his chest and down his back, resting on the perfect roundness of his buttocks. He brought his body down on mine, letting our legs intertwine while his hands roamed freely across my bare abdomen and down to my inner thigh.

Edward stared deep into my eyes from under his thick eyelashes and barely made a sound as he mouthed "I love you" before shifting himself over and making love to me with an enthusiasm and passion that words could not describe.

It wasn't until we were both totally spent and laying in each other's arms that I remembered what had been plaguing our minds so much over the past 24 hours. Now that I wasn't quite so distracted, our situation became more of a priority.

"So, are you going to tell me what you and Carlisle talked about now, or do I have to call Carlisle in here to tell me himself?" I asked, not letting him move from his current position in bed.

"Yes, I suppose you do need to know." He looked down at me with a serious expression, and suddenly I became anxious again.

"Is it terrible, Edward? Please tell me everything." I begged. I knew Edward's predisposition to protecting me, and I wasn't going to have him keeping anything from me now.

"I'm not sure how to explain it, but no. I wouldn't say terrible. It will, however, change almost everything." He had that thoughtful expression again, as if he were trying to determine if I were going to run screaming from what he was about to tell me, or if I would embrace it.

"Okay, so let's hear it. What's the solution?" I was getting frustrated. I wished for not the first time that I could just read his mind.

"You," he said as he kissed the top of my head.

I had no idea what he was talking about, but suddenly I was terrified.

**Okay, that Edward just brings out the animal in me. Next chapter gets back to business, though!**

**Please review – I really do value everyone's opinion and enjoy reading your thoughts!! Thanks!**


	9. Chapter 09 Betrayal

**A/N: These wonderful characters still belong to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just kidnapping them for a while. **

JPOV

I was somewhat awake as I rolled over and stretched, my feet practically hitting the floor past the end of my bed. It was still dark outside. Not that I expected to have a great night's sleep with everything that was going through my mind, but I tried anyway. All of a sudden lights were flashing across my room from outside. I looked at my clock on the nightstand, and the green lights flashed 1:27 a.m. What the hell was going on at this hour?

I rolled again and lifted myself off the bed to look out my window, and saw my Dad's truck pulling into our driveway. Did someone borrow his truck? What was going on? I got up and put a pair of cutoff sweats on just in case we were having company and I needed to keep my privates covered up.

I walked into the living room and opened the front door, and there was my Dad struggling to get back into his wheelchair from his truck. I ran out to help him, and when he saw me he looked panicked.

"Dad, what are you doing out now? You know it's like one-thirty in the morning?"

"Yeah, Jake, I know. I had to take care of some business and didn't want to wake you." He wasn't meeting my eyes, which made me suspicious.

"What kind of business, Dad?" I folded my arms and looked at him like a parent scolding a child that came in after curfew. That's when I got a whiff of him. I could smell a trace of cool, sickening sweetness on him that could only mean one thing.

"You went to see _them_, didn't you?" I felt my eyes almost pop out of my head, and I could barely get the words out, but it sounded like I was accusing him of some terrible crime.

He looked shocked for a second at my guess, which only confirmed that I was right. Lowering his eyes, he nodded and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

"You _did_! You went to the Cullen's place! Have you gone crazy? Are they expecting us to attack now? I can't even believe they let you come back here alive. What were you thinking?"

"Jake, it's a bit chilly out here, don't you think?" He was so calm about this. How could he be? If anything had happened to him…..

"I'm not cold. Tell me why, and exactly what happened." I said, wanting to hear an explanation right then.

He looked up at me with an annoyed expression. "Well, I _am_ getting cold, Jacob, so help me into the house and I'll tell you." Whatever it was he went there for, he wasn't about to tell me out here.

"Fine." I guess he was re-assuming the parental role now.

I wheeled him into the living room and stood in front of him while he took off his coat and hat. Once he was settled he folded his hands in his lap and gave me a look that told me he really wished I was still sleeping.

"Okay," he started. "I went to the Cullen's place, and yes I told them that the treaty has been nullified. I wanted to see if they had any ideas as to how we could avoid any violence. Turns out they already assumed your decision, and were trying to figure out the same thing."

Once I could move my frozen face again, I answered "Yeah, because they're afraid we're going to win! But, Dad, you know as well as I do that we have to go with the council's decision. It can't be avoided now." I was almost yelling at him.

"Jacob, is that what you really want? To start a war that can only end in bloodshed and tragedy?"

I started rubbing my temples. I couldn't really answer him, because the same question had been bugging the crap out of me for the past eight hours. Everything in my head started spinning again. I had been the deciding vote. Did I make the wrong choice at the meeting? How could I turn back now without looking like a complete idiot in front of the whole tribe?

"I don't know what I want." I admitted.

"I don't think you want Bella to be hurt."

"That bloodsucker she loves did that already when he put his fangs into her." As I said the words, it cut me to the bone to think of what happened to her, and that she was basically the one to put me in this position. How could she do this to me?

"So what did they say?" I asked my father.

"I spoke with Dr. Cullen and Edward. Bella was there, too, but she didn't say much. She seemed upset, which is understandable. She did ask about you, though." I snorted and rolled my eyes when he said that, and he continued. "She asked me how you voted."

"What did you tell her?" I didn't like where this was going.

"I told her the truth, son." His eyes were sad again, as if he knew he betrayed me and would do it again if he had to.

I stood there with my arms folded and just shook my head. It's the only thing I could do or else I'd end up phasing right there in the living room. "Great. That's just freaking great, Dad. Thanks, a lot." Well, that finished it. The two people I loved most in the world have turned against me. Bella chose her leech, and my father chose all of them over the tribe.

"Edward didn't say anything specific, but he looked like he might have an idea. I don't think he completely trusted me enough to share it, though."

"Yeah, well, he's not the only one who can't trust you, apparently!"

"Jake, don't' be ridiculous. Try to take a step back and look at this whole situation. Please? I don't want to lose my family or my tribe, and whatever happens it will look very suspicious to outsiders that there are so many sudden unexplained deaths and disappearances. Have you thought about that?"

I wasn't really even trying to register what he was saying. I still couldn't believe he went there. My own father, trying to make friends with an enemy that has threatened our tribe for decades. My life here wasn't what I thought it was. Everything I had come to know and depend on was basically over, even if I survived the battle.

"What do I care? I don't plan to stick around after it's over anyway." I could see he wasn't expecting that response.

"What are you talking about, Jake?" He asked, almost whispering.

"I'm talking about being here after it's over. Don't you see?" The tears started now. Dammit, I didn't want to get this upset.

I caught my breath and continued in a colder voice than I thought I had inside me. "As far as I'm concerned, the past five years have been a nightmare. I loved her _so much_, Dad. And now you are going against me, too? I'm not sticking around to try to pick up the pieces. I'll leave Sam in charge, and he can figure this mess out. I just want my chance at that bloodsucker that killed Bella, then I'm gone, forever."

I could hear Billy call after me, "Jake, _please_…" but I just sprinted out the door, barely making it over the threshold before phasing. I was done talking. Talking wasn't getting anybody anywhere now. It was time for action.

_Sam, are you out here?_

_Yeah, Jake. I'm running patrol before the big event._

_Listen, get some sleep. We move in three hours, at the break of dawn._

_Gotcha – excellent! _I just couldn't share Sam's enthusiasm.

I ran for about six miles before finally stopping under a big mossy tree and curling up, whimpering softly to myself until I finally drifted off to sleep.

**Seems like a short chapter, but I have to get to work on EPOV. Next chapter Edward reveals his plan. Any guesses?? Your reviews make my day, so please take a moment to let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!!**


	10. Chapter 10 Idea

**A/N: These wonderful characters still belong to Stephenie Meyer. My birthday is coming up, though. Maybe she'll give them to me as a present?? **

EPOV

I was about to find out how Bella and the rest of the family would react to my plan. Carlisle embraced my ideas, but was not thrilled about the enormity of what we were about to do. He was headed to his office to begin an extensive list of everyone who would somehow be touched by our solution to prevent war. It would be extremely important to not leave any person who had ever heard of the Cullen family unaffected.

The plan heavily relied on Bella's mental and emotional strength, which neither of us felt one hundred percent certain of. Her friendship with Jacob Black would never be salvaged, but that was not likely to be restored now anyway. It may comfort her, though, that he would be able to live a happy and normal life, as would we. At least, as normal as we could ever expect. What I worried about most, though, was how she would feel about Charlie and Renee.

While Carlisle worked on his task, I was going to explain to Bella what our intentions were for the little town that she considered home for the past several years. When I quietly entered our room and saw her laying on our bed listening to the CD that I had made for her, I was overwhelmed by my love for her.

She looked like an angel, a peaceful smile on her lips, her long brown hair spread across the pillow. Her eyes were closed and it reminded me so much of how I would watch her sleep when she was still human. The memory of those first few times I heard her call out my name in her sleep came flooding back to me, and I found myself smiling just a bit at the way my still heart had soared at that sound.

She was my entire existence, and I could not allow anything to threaten her happiness ever again, even her own choice to become a vampire.

Just then she opened her eyes and looked up at me. I could tell she was relieved to have me with her again, which only made me happier. The plan, the wolves, the war, would all have to wait just a bit longer. Right now I could not think of anything but being with her, loving her with all my heart and soul.

She seemed to need me as much as I needed her at that moment. She wondered aloud if we should be discussing my idea instead of making love, but she quickly dropped the subject once I assured her everything was going to be fine, and we continued to get lost in each other.

We spent the next hour simply loving each other with everything we had, until finally we just held each other, and I planted gentle kisses all along her forehead. I could have laid there holding her forever, but her curiosity would no longer tolerate silence on my part.

"So, are you going to tell me what you and Carlisle talked about now, or do I have to call Carlisle in here to tell me himself?" she finally asked.

"Yes, I suppose you do need to know." I looked at her and tried to figure out where to start. Her expression told me that she was beginning to feel stressed again.

"Is it terrible, Edward? Please tell me everything."

"I'm not sure how to explain it, but no. I wouldn't say terrible. It will, however, change almost everything." I tightened my grip around her waist and pulled her closer to me for one last kiss before beginning.

"Okay, so let's hear it. What's the solution?"

"You," I replied, and kissed the top of her head. It took a second before her voice caught up with the confusion on her face.

"And how exactly am I the solution?"

"Bella, the wolves are not going to let us live in peace, anywhere. Sooner or later it will come to a vicious fight, and I can't bear to see you hurt, or to have you suffer a loss that you would have to live with forever.

"Carlisle and I discussed a plan that involves you using your abilities, but it's something that you would have to feel comfortable with and strong enough for. It involves planting false memories, and erasing others, and will affect many people."

She was looking at me with huge eyes, trying to digest what I had just said. She lay in my arms still as a statue, just staring.

"Bella, love, tell me what you're thinking. Please?"

She began shaking her head, apparently in disbelief that I would consider something as radical as this. I was prepared to begin thinking of another plan, but her reaction worried me. After all that we had been through, did she now think of me as a monster, because I was willing to alter so many people's lives so that we could continue ours?

"I can't believe it." She was more speaking to herself than me. This obviously was not going to work. I couldn't ask her to do something so against her character, and felt ashamed that I had even attempted it.

"Bella, I understand if it's something you aren't willing to do. I had to make the suggestion, though. Even though I didn't like the idea of affecting so many lives, either, I just haven't been able to come up with an alternative yet. Please don't hate me. I promise you that I will find another solution." I felt desperate for her forgiveness, then she spoke again.

"What?" She looked right into my eyes. "No, Edward, it's not that. Not at all. I can't believe I didn't think of this myself. This could really work!" Her acceptance and enthusiasm caught me completely off guard. All I could do was nod, waiting for her to continue. She looked thoughtful for a moment, then said "I guess I'm not used to being the one with any power over a situation, and it just took me by surprise that I _could_ do something to help everyone."

Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. I couldn't help but smile as I cupped her face in my hand and looked into her eyes. "You never cease to amaze me, Bella. Just when I think you couldn't possibly have the strength to handle something, you come out fighting like a prize winning champion."

I had to wonder, though, if perhaps an important part of this had escaped her.

"But," I said carefully gauging her reaction, "You realize that this includes Charlie and Renee also?"

She looked away from my eyes briefly, and nodded. If she didn't want to talk about that part right now, I was not going to force her.

"So, when…how?" I could see many questions forming in her mind, and I wasn't sure I could answer them all without Carlisle's help.

"Let's get dressed and go talk with everyone downstairs. I think Carlisle has been working out some details and between all of us we can figure it out."

"Okay," she said, and we both getting up. "But, Edward?" She turned to me, still looking concerned.

"Yes, love?"

"Do you think even prize winning champions feel anxiety attacks coming on before the big fight?" She had her arms wrapped around her waist, and I was at her side in less than an instant.

"I'm sure they do, sweetheart." I tried to sooth her as my arms cradled her against me. "I'm sure they do."

**Okay, so a little teaser about what's going to happen. Time is running out before the wolves descend, though…… Please review!! Please review!! Please review!!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: These wonderful characters and all things Twilight still belong to Stephenie Meyer. What a bummer!**

Carlisle POV

Once we were all gathered together we could finish discussing the details of Edward's plan. Esme, Alice, Jasper, and myself were all sitting around the dining room table, waiting for the others. Emmett was helping Rosalie with some final preparations with our vehicles, and Bella and Edward were on their way down the stairs. As I watched them enter the dining room, I couldn't help but notice that they were no longer two individuals, but two halves of a whole. I had to smile to myself the way their love reminded me of myself and Esme.

It occurred to me that this would be the last family meeting at this table, in this house, for almost a century. We would come back eventually, once we could safely establish ourselves as a new generation of the Cullen family. Until then, we would live in our house in the White Mountains in New Hampshire, then perhaps move on to stay in Alaska for a while.

Because of everyone's hearing abilities, we had all been privy to Edward explaining the basics of the plan to Bella. I had to admit that I was as surprised as he was to hear her quick acceptance of the idea. Although I was proud of each member of my family, my admiration for my newest daughter continued to grow daily as I witnessed her inner strength and unwavering love and devotion to the family. She was truly a Cullen, whether she and Edward were technically married yet or not. Edward looked at me and smiled, hearing my thoughts, as he held out a chair for Bella and sat down next to her.

Rosalie and Emmett arrived at the same time Bella and Edward joined the group.

"Okay," I began. "All of us except Bella understand what has to be done here. We all wish that none of this was necessary, of course," I looked at Rosalie and Emmett sympathetically when I said this because they were the least enthusiastic. Rosalie hated to move, and Emmett felt that he was being denied the opportunity to partake in a good fight. "But the important thing is that we stay together as a family and keep each other safe, from _all_ threats that may arise." Everyone knew I was speaking of more than just the wolves. We also had to avoid raising any red flags with our acquaintances in Italy.

"Rose, are the cars all ready to travel to New Hampshire?" I asked.

"Yep. I'll keep some tools in my trunk just in case, but we should be all set."

"Great. Thank you, Rose. And how about the packing, Alice?"

"Most of the clothes are all packed, except Bella's and Edward's. I'll go finish theirs in a few minutes. We'll probably have to buy some things when we get there, but that's normal for a family moving to a different climate."

"And gives you the opportunity to shop, of course." Edward teased. Alice just smiled and stuck her tongue out at her brother.

"Esme, how about household items?" I asked as I held her hand across the table.

"Everything we normally take for a move is in the big truck already. All of our sentimental items, plus those necessary to keep up appearances."

"Okay, then. Jasper? Have you contacted Mr. Jenks?"

"Yes, although he wasn't thrilled about being woken up at three in the morning, he said he understood that these things can sometimes be urgent after I assured him twice his normal rate for the paperwork, licenses, and records for the eight of us. I've instructed him to send them overnight to a post office depot in Boston. We can pick them up on our way to New Hampshire."

"Fine, then. It looks like those details are in order. Now, Bella, how are you handling everything?"

Bella just looked at me for a moment, as if trying to figure out what the right answer to my question was.

"I'm fine, I guess. I'd just like to know what my part is. I mean, I know how to do it, I just don't really understand how far I need to project and to who. And how do I know who to erase memories from and who to give memories to? And which memories?" She started to look confused and anxious again, and Edward quickly wrapped an arm around her for comfort.

Jasper sent a wave of calm over the room, and Bella gave him a sheepish smile and seemed to relax just a bit.

"Bella, I know you can do this, and everything will work out fine. You wouldn't bet against me, would you?" Alice's reassurance seemed to have a positive effect on Bella. We all wanted very much to believe that her visions were allowing her to see a successful outcome. Of course, with her not being able to see the wolves, her visions were extremely tentative.

"Bella" Rosalie spoke then. "Listen, I may not be thrilled about moving, but I know that we're doing the right thing here. I know you can do this and help us get our lives back to normal. You're my sister, and I love you."

Bella looked stunned. We all did, I think. Rose was not known for her encouraging words.

"Yeah," Emmett added. "And hey, if anything goes wrong we get to kick some serious werewolf butt!!" and slammed his fist on the table.

"Emmett!" Edward hissed at him.

"What?" Emmett raised his shoulders innocently, and Edward just shook his head.

"Bella," I continued, ignoring Emmett's remarks, "I've written out a plan that you can use if you feel comfortable with it. I want you to read it over and see if everything is agreeable to you before we decide on when to carry it out."

"Okay." She said, sounding uncertain, and I handed her the paper that detailed an outline of whose memories were to be altered and how.

Bella began to read down the list of people she would have to specifically target, then suddenly gasped. "Um, Carlisle?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"This says that Charlie and Renee will believe that I died right after graduation. Is that really necessary?"

"It's my belief that it will be necessary, yes. It will be easier for them to accept that you are really gone that way. Right now they still believe that you ran off with Edward after Mike's death. After an unknown amount of time, they will most likely begin to look for you. Allowing them to become aware of your new life would only put them both in grave danger. Does that make sense to you?"

"Yes, I suppose so. It's just sad, though. Charlie had some nice memories of Allie, and this will erase those completely since she wasn't born for another seven and a half months." Even through her brave face, there was a heavy sadness.

"But it will also erase the grief and the guilt he feels over everything, love. He will no longer hold himself responsible for your unhappiness or Allie's death." Edward explained.

Bella thought about that for a moment, then nodded her head with more resolve than before. She knew that Charlie had felt terribly guilty about believing Mike over her, and that Charlie had been right outside their house on that terrible night.

"I know you aren't aware of this, but there is another danger here as well. The wolves suspect our involvement in Mike's death. It will have to be explained some other way in order to avoid any investigations by anyone, human or otherwise."

"But, Carlisle, there isn't any explanation for Mike's death written here." Edward noticed while reading over Bella's shoulder.

"Yes, I thought I would leave that decision to Bella and let her do whatever she is comfortable with."

"I'm not sure what I'm comfortable with, though." Bella said.

"Well, it's not something you have to decide this minute, of course. I would suggest that we all spend the next hour making the final preparations for our departure, and then meet in the living room to be there for Bella while the transition takes place."

Everyone nodded and headed out of the dining room. Rosalie and Emmett went out to hunt while Jasper went to assist Alice with the last of the packing. Bella sat at the table staring at her hands, and Edward looked as though he didn't know what to do with himself.

"Edward?" Bella looked at Edward intensely, locking her eyes with his.

"Yes, love?"

"Can we go to our meadow one more time?"

"I would love nothing more." Edward smiled and took Bella's hand, leading her outside.

Esme and I went to finish up some things in my office, and I hoped that Edward could persuade Bella to relax so that this would be an easier task for her. I had to believe that her emotional strength would hold up and that pushing her abilities farther than she ever imagined would not have devastating effects.

**OK, so today is my birthday!! Presents = reviews!! It might seem that the plan is being a bit drawn out, but it will all be worth it – trust me! Please let me know what you are thinking! I love to hear theories, thoughts, comments, suggestions…. Thanks for reading! **


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: These wonderful characters and all things Twilight still belong to Stephenie Meyer. Oh, but I can dream……**

**Short but sweet.**

_**Elise, this one's for you….**_

Emmett POV

"C'mon Rosie, let's go get us some grizzlies." I took Rose's hand and led her outside after Carlise's meeting. The sun wasn't even close to coming up yet, so we had a good chance of catching a few really pissed off bears, once we interrupted whatever they were doing at this hour.

While we were running I was thinking about how our lives were about to change. I stopped for a moment to figure out how Rose felt about it.

"Rose, I don't see why we're going to New Hampshire, and doing whatever Bella is going to do. I mean, we can take those dogs. I know we can. Why can't we just stay and fight and go on living here? I know you like it here, and so do I." Rose just looked at me with that same look she gave me whenever I asked her about cars.

"Emmett, you need to stop thinking of life as one big boxing ring. I know you can take those wolves, babe, but it's just not a good idea. There are bigger implications if we fight them. I need you to focus on what we're doing now. Can you do that?" I was about to argue my point more, but she put on her pouty smile and walked toward me with that totally hot wiggle in her ass.

"Em, baby, can you please do that for me?" She ran her hands up the inside of my shirt then, and I pretty much lost whatever train of thought I had. Man, I was one lucky vampire. "You know," she continued, "I hear the bear population in New Hampshire has been getting out of control lately." She was looking up at me from under her eyelashes now. Totally sexy.

We were lucky enough to find a couple of adult bears mating nearby, and they never even heard us coming up behind them. I think they must have eaten something really good the day before, because they tasted better than usual.

Rose sat on the ground after we were finished, and she looked unhappy.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" I asked.

"It's just that I hear that the bears on the east coast like to put up such a fight that the humans don't stand a chance against them." Her sexy face took on a nervous look now. "You know, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe you're right."

"I am?" Now I was confused.

"Yeah, Em. I'm not so sure we should go someplace where the food is going to be that much of a challenge. What if they really are too much to handle? I mean, maybe they're a different breed or something? Maybe they're more dangerous for some reason?" God, she was cute when she was worried.

No way. She was not going to be afraid of _anything_ as long as I was around.

"Listen, Rose. I'm not going to let some stupid bears scare us away, and I'll never let anything hurt you or anyone else in the family. I'll take everyone hunting personally to make sure they're safe if I have to. Hell, Rose, this could be really cool! If they are some type of different breed, then they'll be that much more surprised when I start taking them out one by one." I started thinking of all the possibilities of mutant bear breeds. I could just imagine a mutant bear just waking up from hibernation. The venom was flowing in my mouth just thinking about it…..

I looked down and saw Rose looking up at me with a big smile on her face. She looked…… smug? She really loved it when I got all protective of her. Obviously she felt safer now about our new home because of me, and most likely the rewards for that would be totally hot. Like I said, I was one lucky vampire.

Now I couldn't wait to go to New Hampshire.

"How much longer till we leave, Rose?" I asked her, grabbing a perfect handful of her ass.

"Not long, Em. Make sure you hunt enough first, though, okay? They're may not be many places to stop along the way, so we should take advantage while we can." She leaned up and kissed me, teasing me for a second with her tongue.

"No problem." I said. "But first, maybe I can show you what a strong, brave protector you have for a husband?" I let my hand roam from her incredible rear to between her thighs, making her gasp a little.

"Well, well, my monkey man." Rose's mouth was all over mine immediately, and I could tell she was in the mood to let me do pretty much whatever I wanted.

"Wait a minute." She pulled away and wrinkled her nose, and she had a look on her face as if she had just eaten human food or something. "Do you smell that?"

I turned my head in the direction she was facing, and I smelled it, too.

"They're not far from the treaty line. We have to go back and tell the others." She said.

"Damned mutts." I growled. Leave it to them to ruin a moment.

**Hmmmm… the more reviews I get, the more I am motivated. Please take just a moment and let me know your thoughts! I also love to hear suggestions, predictions, ideas…. Let me know!!**

**And thanks for reading my story. **


	13. Chapter 13 Preparation

**A/N: These wonderful characters and all things Twilight still belong to Stephenie Meyer. Oh, but I can dream……**

EPOV

Bella and I were just sitting in our meadow enjoying the first signs of the sunrise. I lay with her cradled in my arms, trying to keep her calm so that she could face the huge task in front of her. She seemed content, but I hoped that she wasn't just hiding her anxiety. More than ever, I wished I could read her mind. Occasionally she would look up at me and gently kiss me, with a small smile on her face. I found myself wishing that we could stay here forever, but the reality was that we would not see this meadow again for a very long time.

Suddenly the phone in my pocket vibrated. I didn't even have to answer the phone to know who was calling and why. The caller ID read "Em," and I had the phone to my ear before it could finish the first vibration.

"We'll be right there." I said to Emmett.

Although I already knew, Emmett went on to tell me what they discovered. "We're almost home now. Rose and I were hunting about a mile from the treaty line when we smelled them. You think they're attacking this soon?"

"I'm sure they want to catch us by surprise. And if any of them found out that Billy was here last night, then they wouldn't want to take a chance of us having some kind of plan."

"Okay, we'll be there before you, so we'll let the others know." Emmett hung up and I put my phone back in my pocket, feeling Bella stiffen in my arms. She had an angry look on her face now. Of course she heard the entire conversation between Emmett and myself.

"Ready?" I asked, squeezing her hand.

"As much as I can be, I guess." She looked up at me, leaned over and kissed me passionately then. Her kiss was intense, as if she were trying to draw some sense of security directly from me. If we were human, we surely would have suffocated.

Once we regretfully tore ourselves apart, we ran at full speed and were home within 5 minutes. Everyone was either standing or sitting in the living room waiting for our arrival.

"Bella," Carlisle came over to us first. "How do you feel?"

"Okay, I think." She was still holding on to my hand very tightly, almost enough to be uncomfortable.

Carlisle put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and spoke to all of us. "I think once they get close we need to steer them away from the house. If we can surround them, keeping them all together and forcing them into an area they are familiar with, then Bella can project her ability to them and have this over soon."

"But, Carlisle, if we leave the house in organized groups, won't they suspect something and split up?" Jasper grabbed Alice's hand, and spoke from his past military training and experience. Our attack, though, would not involve the kind of war Jasper was familiar with from his human life.

"They may, but their desire to eliminate us should force them to follow our groups. They won't risk letting some of us get away. We will just have to make sure our timing is accurate so that they will all be affected at the same time while we stay a safe distance away."

One part of the plan would be crucial to me, and to Bella. "Everyone please keep me updated through your thoughts. It will be our best offense to know exactly what their position is, and what their direction is." Everyone nodded and understood.

The plan was simple enough. Emmett and Rose ran towards the treaty line, to the west, about a mile out. Once they could smell and hear the wolves, they would call my cell phone and the rest of us would leave the house. Alice and Jasper would run to the northwest, and Bella and I would stay to the south, circling around. Esme and Carlisle were going to go slightly due north to make sure that none of the wolves were out of Bella's range.

We waited anxiously for Em and Rose's call, which seemed to take forever. Bella still held a vice grip on my hand, and I was tracing small circles on the back of her hand with my free one. It seemed to calm her just a bit.

Suddenly I felt the ominous vibration, and we jumped into action.

Everyone ran in their assigned direction.

Bella and I headed south as we planned, and before long I could hear the rest of the family's thoughts.

Alice_: I can hear them Edward. They're about two miles away from you now._

Rosalie:_ Ew, I can smell them, Edward. Disgusting._

Emmett: _Bro, they're getting really close. Rose thinks she can smell them._

Carlisle:_ They know we've left the house, Edward. They weren't sure which way to go at first, but now they are headed your way._

Bella and I sat on some rocks that skirted the edge of a small clearing where the pack was headed.

"How are you feeling, love?"

She looked up at me with a frustrated look on her beautiful face and grinned, "Like I wish I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that today." I quickly got the hint.

"I'm sorry," she explained, thinking that she hurt my feelings or something ridiculous like that. "I think I can really do this, Edward. The only thing that bothers me is that if I don't do a good enough job, it could make things worse for us."

"Bella, I have complete confidence that you will be the reason we can all go on living a normal life, and I include the wolf pack in that statement. And we will come back to Forks someday to live again. There's not a doubt in my mind."

At that she smiled her beautiful smile at me and said "Well, then I'm glad one of us is confident. I think it's almost time.."

"Can I do anything to help?"

"No, just sit there." A strange but determined look crossed her face then. "Your memories of Mike will be erased, too."

"Bella…" I was stunned. As usual, Bella said the last thing I ever expected to hear. She had been so vehemently opposed to erasing my memories of Mike that I wondered for a moment if she was feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Edward, I know what's important. Those memories of Mike aren't important anymore. I need a clean start just like everyone else here today. Knowing that you have those memories is very tempting sometimes, and I really believe in my heart that they should be gone.

"What's important now is how we can live our happily ever after. I know with those memories kicking around somewhere that won't happen. Besides, why should you have to remember them when Mike's own family won't?"

If tears could have come to my eyes, they would have. Bella had no idea of the gift she was giving me, and I never wanted her to know.

"Thank you." I whispered, and kissed her forehead.

"You can thank me when this all works." I just gave her a knowing look and hugged her close. She was right, the wolf pack was getting closer. I could hear them now.

**Next chapter - Bella POV as she uses her abilities on so many..... Please, please review! I know there are many out there who are reading, and I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments before this story is finished.**


	14. Chapter 14 Erasure

**A/N: Thanks for your patience, everyone. Some of these chapters may seem shorter, but that's only because I like to keep it to one POV at a time. But Bella will be the predominant POV for the remainder of the story. If I'm feeling daring then I'll throw some more Jake in there, too.**

**Thanks so much to MissStrawberries for allowing me to beta for the first time on her story, Facing Up. If you aren't familiar with her work, please visit her profile. She is one of the good ones!**

**Enjoy!**

**BPOV**

Edward seemed so happy with my decision to erase his memories of Mike. I would also be erasing those memories from his family, with one exception. That conversation had been a difficult one for me, but went better than I expected.

_Flashback:_

"_Carlisle, can I talk with you privately for a moment?" I asked, making sure that nobody else was in hearing distance._

"_Yes, of course, Bella. Do you want to go to my office, or someplace else?"_

"_Your office is fine." We could keep our voices low enough to speak privately, and everyone was so preoccupied with preparations to leave they probably wouldn't notice our absence. We walked into Carlisle's office, and I couldn't help but look sad when I saw the bare walls and empty bookshelves, everything all packed and ready for our flight._

_He sat down on his desk and motioned for me to sit in the only chair left. He was obviously going to let me do the talking here._

"_Carlisle, I have a very big favor to ask you, and I want you to feel free to say no if you want."_

"_Of course, Bella. What is it?"_

"_For a long time Edward, Rose, and Alice have been asking me to erase their minds of Mike's memories. I haven't been able to do it for some reason, thinking that it was important for those memories to be within my reach. But now I'm thinking that we all need a fresh start and to not remember Mike. I'm planning to erase everyone's memories of him, but I was wondering if you would be willing to be a sort of, well….secret keeper?"_

"_I'm not sure what you mean, but I'll help in any way I can."_

_That was Carlisle. Always willing to help, and always the diplomat of the family._

"_I'd like to leave your memories intact. I know if there was ever a time that those memories would need to be resurrected, you would be the most reliable source and the most impartially credible. I'm truly hoping that it's never necessary to bring them up again, but at least one of us will know the true history if needed. I'm ready to accept the same memories that everyone else receives as well."_

_Carlisle put his hands together under his chin and seemed deep in thought for a moment. Then, he looked into my eyes and asked, "Bella, is this what you really want?"_

"_I can feel it in my heart, Carlisle. Still as it may be, I know that I need closure. Probably even more than Edward realizes. I also know that what I'm doing later today will change a lot of lives, but for the right reasons and for the better. Would you agree with that?"_

"_Yes, of course I do." he answered. "I'm willing to take on that responsibility, but I'm curious what scenario you envision where these memories might be needed."_

"_I'm not sure myself, actually, to be honest."_

"_Alright, then, I'll gladly be your secret keeper, Bella. And in my opinion, nobody should ever underestimate your strength ever again."_

"_Thanks." If I could still blush I would have been bright red by now. Carlisle gave me a fatherly hug and we both continued with our preparations for the day._

I didn't plan to tell Edward about my conversation with Carlisle. It wouldn't matter anyway and would only make him worry more, if that were possible. Soon I wouldn't remember the conversation, anyway, so it really didn't make any sense to bring it up. Still, it felt very strange not to share something with him. I was usually able to tell him anything.

Only a few moments had passed when Edward could begin to hear the pack's thoughts.

"Bella, are you ready?" Edward asked me with an intense look on his face, a combination of worry, fear, anger, and love.

"Yes, I need you to be very quiet while I concentrate, though." Edward nodded, and as I leaned over to kiss him he whispered "I love you, Bella."

I closed my eyes and began concentrating. I had to pull every part of my mind together to be able to focus only on what I was doing. I had to block every other thought from inside my head, and that is something not easily accomplished by a vampire.

Slowly, I could feel the power building, like a darkly tinted bubble that would get bigger and bigger with each exhaled breath. I carefully placed inside the bubble those memories I wanted to erase – the existence of vampires. All of the legends, the stories, and all of the history surrounding the Quileutes' fears and anger. The discovery of vampires so long ago, the scent, the tribe's knowledge of the 'cold ones.' All that would be left were a bunch of ghost stories, the ones that the rest of the world didn't really believe, either. Everything right up to, and including, my change from human to immortal and the rage that it caused within the tribe.

Once the dark bubble was powerful enough inside my head, I concentrated on its size. I forced the bubble to spread over a five mile radius, just to make sure all of my intended victims were reached. Based on what the pack was doing today, nobody on the reservation would be leaving the safety of their homes, so I was confident that the entire reservation would be affected by my actions.

In order to project the bubble out of my head, I had to literally push with all of my physical might. When I had first practiced my ability, Edward once commented that it resembled a human lifting an extremely heavy object. I more likened it to childbirth, having had the experience firsthand.

As I pushed the bubble out, I could feel it traveling away from me. It floated, but was still attached to me somehow. Then I could sense them. My closest targets were only about 100 yards from us now. Without opening my eyes or moving a muscle, I could sense seven of them, and they were very much aware of our presence.

Then I let it snap from my mind like a rubber band being shot through a classroom.

Almost immediately I heard several yelps and whimpers, then nothing. Complete silence.

I slumped into Edward's arms, having exhausted myself for a moment. About ten seconds later, having fully recovered, I sat up and looked into Edward's eyes. He was staring at me with concern, but when I smiled at him he seemed to relax and even managed a smile himself.

I quickly looked around me. Nothing looked different, but I could hear movement in the forest not far from the rock we sat on.

"Bella, you need to hide." Edward whispered low enough that nobody else would be able to hear. I felt confident that nothing had gone wrong, but I quickly jumped behind the rock and crouched low, behind where Edward sat. Just in case, I was not leaving him alone.

I could hear someone approaching from the front. They suddenly stopped, apparently noticing Edward sitting there.

"Oh, hi." I recognized the voice at once - Jacob. The tone and surprise I heard in his voice told me what I needed to know. It had worked.

"Hi there." Edward replied.

"Um, sorry to bother you – are you lost?" Jacob asked Edward.

"No, actually, I was just enjoying the scenery before heading back to the trails just west of here."

"Oh, okay. Me and some friends were just hiking, too, but we live nearby on the Quileute reservation. So, you're not from around here?"

"No, I'm from Chicago. But I have some cousins in the Port Angeles area, and they recommended this area as a good place to explore."

"Yeah, it's really nice out here, just watch out for the bears and the mosquitoes."

"Mosquitoes?" I could hear the smile on Edward's face as he asked this.

"Yeah, well, with all the rain, you know, they're pretty nasty around here. And the bears can be pretty territorial, so you want to steer clear of them, too. We don't get too many mountain lions, though. They haven't been much of a problem lately." Jacob was explaining local wildlife problems as if he were trying to frighten a four year old with the boogey man.

"Sure. I'll definitely keep my eyes open."

"Okay, then, well I guess I'll see you around."

"Thanks, take care." Edward gave Jacob a wave, and I could hear him leaving to go find the rest of the pack.

"Coast is clear, love." Edward turned to reach for me after Jake was out of sight, and I happily crawled back onto his lap, covering his face with kisses and holding him as close as I could.

"I didn't expect that." I admitted to Edward. "I didn't think we would see any of them, after…"

"Bella, that was amazing. Do you realize that we just had as much proof as we could ever hope for that this plan will work?"

"Yes, I know. It was strange, though, knowing that I was responsible for Jake not knowing who you were."

At that Edward raised an eyebrow at me. "You're not having doubts, are you? Because if he had recognized me, you know what would be happening right now."

A shiver ran down my spine as I thought of that possibility. "No. No doubts. Just a strange sense of playing God."

"I see. I think that if you want to involve a higher power in what's happening here, then you have to accept that you were given the ability to spare lives today. You are using your powers only for good, not evil." He gave me his crooked smile, then, and I had to think about what he said. It made me feel a little better.

"I wonder what's going to happen to him now." I thought aloud.

"Well, I'm not a fortune teller, but I am willing to bet that Jacob Black will go on to lead a much more normal life as a teenage boy than he would have a few hours ago.

"I never had a chance to tell you Carlisle's theory on the wolves before, but I have a feeling that Jacob won't ever phase again."

"Why not, Edward?" Now I was worried. Had I done something to Jake's genetic makeup?

"Because what Jacob told you is true – they are descended from wolves, or shape-shifters. However, what triggered their phasing was the need to protect their tribe from the presence of a great threat – vampires. So long ago when we first came to Forks, back when Ephraim Black was the leader of the tribe, that's when the first sign of the genetic mutation became obvious.

"Carlisle's theory is that the mutation will lie dormant as long as there is no threat. He became even more convinced of this when it did remain dormant, when our family stayed away from Forks. Once we came back, and they became aware of the perceived threat, the current tribe began reliving the transformations that they had only heard of in legends. More and more of them started to take on the shape-shifting abilities once we came back in growing numbers."

"Oh." was all I could say. I felt like I still had so much to learn about the intricacies of immortality.

"Are you ready to head back and begin phase two?" he asked.

"Definitely. You should probably call and let everyone know it went smoothly."

Edward had his cell phone out and was dialing as I finished the sentence.


	15. Chapter 15 Ignorance is Bliss

**_Well, I apologize for the delay, but I hope it's worth it. This is the longest chapter I've written and alas, it is also the end of my story. For those of you who have liked my writing, please click on me as a favorite author, because I do intend to start a new story soon._**

**_And for those of you who have read the story and not had a chance to give a review, I would really really appreciate a word or two to let me know how I did (I'm still a newbie at this!)._**

**_And, of course, Stephenie Meyer owns these characters. I just love them too much to leave them alone for very long._**

**BPOV**

When we got back to the house, everyone seemed relieved and happy that the wolves' memories had been changed without any unexpected incidents. It helped to lift my spirits a bit, too, since I still couldn't shake the feeling that it was my fault that we had to do all of this.

We agreed that everyone else would get the cars and the big truck ready, and Edward and I would meet them at the highway ramp after I had finished what was started. Carlisle recommended that we do it sooner than later, since people on the reservation would eventually start talking to people in Forks, and we didn't want to have any questions being raised.

Alice hugged me tightly before getting into her canary yellow Mazarati, "Bella, I know you can do this. You're so much stronger than anyone even dreamed you would be. Don't ever believe otherwise." I looked into Alice's eyes and knew she was completely sincere. She was truly my sister, and part of me looked forward to the life we would have in New Hampshire and beyond. Even if it did involve a lot of shopping.

"And I don't want you to worry about a thing. I've already started working on plans for a beautiful New Hampshire mountain-top wedding ceremony once we're settled." She gave me a wink as I stood there, slightly dumbfounded but also thrilled that she could have even thought of that already.

As Alice and Jasper walked toward their car, Jasper gave me a smile and sent a wave of confidence over me that I welcomed graciously. I knew that was his way of showing his faith in my abilities. He had not completely forgiven himself for the events that took place at my 18th birthday party, but Jasper and I had a much more solid relationship since my change.

"Hey, Bella," Emmett slapped me on the rear, earning a dirty look from Edward. "Be strong, kiddo." Even in his own crude way, I had to appreciate Emmett's support, because I knew it was genuine.

Rose gave me a kiss on the cheek and a meaningful look, then turned and walked toward her BMW.

Esme and Carlisle both hugged me and Carlisle even gave me a knowing wink, remembering our conversation. Part of me felt like I was asking too much of him, leaving him with the burden of remembering Mike and the legacy of pain he had left behind. But I also knew that Carlisle would be happy knowing that the rest of his family were living in blissful ignorance of those events.

"Okay, so where should we do this?" I asked Edward, after everyone else had left for the rendezvous point.

"I was just thinking that maybe the center of town makes sense. The park has a good central location that should make it easier for you to reach wherever you need to." he said.

"Hmm, I think you're right." I took an unnecessary deep breath and closed my eyes for a moment. "I really need this to be over, Edward." I put my head against his chest, and he hugged me tightly.

"Bella, when this is all over, I will make it my personal mission to make sure you never have an ounce of unhappiness ever again. I love you, and I will never forgive myself for putting you through this."

"Wait - what in the world are you talking about, Edward?" I lifted my head to look into his eyes, and found he had that expression of regret that I had come to know so well.

"I mean, if I hadn't left you so many years ago this would never have been necessary." He was beating himself up again, and I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Edward, stop. In order for us to be together, eventually you would have had to change me. I would have insisted, begged, and pleaded until you agreed to it. And then the pack would have found their reason to attack. I know that in my heart."

Edward smiled a little as he moved a strand of my hair back behind my ear. The feeling sent a bolt of electricity through me, and I had to smile.

"You know, you still manage to dazzle me after all this time."

"Good. I hope that never changes." He said as he leaned in to kiss me softly.

"I'm convinced it never will." I smiled up at him, and we both got lost in the moment.

Several long, meaningful kisses later we were on our way to the park in the center of town. It only took us a few minutes to get there on foot, but we had to walk at human pace for the last half mile since we were in plain view of people.

Once we were in the park, we sat down on a bench. I decided to lay down and put my head in Edward's lap so I could try to relax and concentrate on the task at hand once again. Edward was rubbing my forehead slowly, lulling me into a state of complete calm, and I found myself easily able to create the dark bubble in my mind.

I would have to focus now on making sure that the town of Forks believed that the Cullen family moved out of town years ago, after their children all graduated from high school. It made the most sense to leave them with some memory of the Cullens, since erasing paper trails was not part of my talent, and would have been very difficult at such short notice. I knew we would be gone long enough that once we came back we would be able to present ourselves as relatives of the Cullens who originally lived here.

The more challenging part was focusing only on the Cullens and the memories I wanted to erase from them. I had to carefully focus my ability on everyone except Carlisle. Since he was driving the big truck by himself, it made it easier for me to exclude him from the bubble, but I was still nervous.

Once the bubble was large enough to cover the entire area, with the exception of the truck, I again let it snap away from my mind. The area I covered was so large, I could feel the energy drain from me to the point of nausea. I'm not sure how long I lay with my head in Edward's lap afterwards, but at some point he became concerned.

"Bella? Are you okay, love?" he asked while looking down at my face.

"Mmm-hmm." Was all I could answer, with a slight nod of my head. I still needed another minute to recuperate.

As I opened my eyes to look up at him, I wondered if I had accomplished my goal. Did he still have his memories of Mike, or did he think we were doing this just because of the Quileutes? I had to know, and there was only one way that I could think of to get my answer.

"Edward, do you remember Mike Newton, from Forks High?" I could gauge my success on his answer. If Edward just looked at me as if I had lost my mind, then I would know I had failed and that his memories were still in tact. If he answered almost any other way, then there was a chance I had given him one of the things he most desired from me.

I was horrified when he looked at me with a concerned and skeptical look on his face, like the psychologist who says to the patient, 'No, madam, you're not crazy - it's everyone else.'

_Oh no_, I thought briefly. _Everyone was so confident I could do this, and I let them all down._ But then he spoke.

"Yes. But Bella, sweetheart, what makes you think of him now?" I just shrugged my shoulders, and he actually chuckled at his memory of Mike then, and continued.

"I don't think there was any other boy in that school more irritating to me than him. He followed you around for the first few months after you arrived like a lost puppy dog waiting for you to adopt him. I even thought you might agree to date him a couple of times, and it drove me crazy." He turned his crooked, dazzling smile on me then, and it made my still heart soar to know that I had given him a wonderful gift that he wanted, but would never know he had received.

"I was just wondering what ever became of some of the people we knew then." It was easier to lie to him knowing that shortly I would have the same memories as him.

"Well, whatever happened to him, I'm sure he's still at least somewhat upset that I stole you away from his clutches." Edward smiled and leaned down to kiss me. Part of me was horrified at his statement, but I managed to smile sweetly at him knowing that he was oblivious to the true meaning behind his words.

Edward and the rest of the family, except Carlisle of course, now believed that Edward had come back to Forks shortly after leaving me, realizing that we were meant to be together and that neither of us could be happy without the other.

I was certain that the next part of the plan would go smoothly. I had to plant false memories in the town about the Cullens, Mike Newton, and myself. Even though I knew this part was easier for me to accomplish, it was the part that made me the saddest.

It meant that Charlie would now believe I was dead.

Once I felt my strength return, I focused on the new memories. This time the bubble in my mind took on the hue of a peaceful blue sky. It allowed me to create the memories I wanted everyone to have that would make our lives happier for the most part. Some would find peace and happiness in these memories, some would find closure, and some would be spared from the ugly truth that had been plaguing them for a long time. I would have to put a little of myself in each of those categories, if truth was to be told.

This time the memories did not snap away from me like the erasure bubble had, but rather floated away from me softly, washing over the entire area like a soft, invisible blanket. I could almost feel the sense of momentary confusion that it caused people. It would feel to many people as though they had walked into a room for something but couldn't recall what it was. The feeling would pass within a couple of seconds, and then it would seem as though nothing had changed.

Now there was just one more mind that I had to affect. Mine.

I looked up at Edward to see him watching me carefully, wondering if there was anything he should be doing or if anything was wrong. I knew he would never tolerate anything causing me to be unhappy again, and that we would be free to truly love each other forever with no boundaries, no haunting past, and no sadness. We would be together the way we were meant to be so many years ago before that fateful birthday party. I found myself more ready than ever to begin our happily ever after.

I squeezed Edward's hand tightly and concentrated inward until I felt the blackness start to overcome my mind. I let myself slip away into the darkness, seeing only the memories I wanted to leave myself with, those of a happy life with Edward after only a brief separation.

Even though I wasn't asleep, it felt as though I woke up from a nap. I felt a little confused, but also refreshed. I sat up and looked around at the overcast morning, the people of Forks going about their daily routines, and at my fiancé sitting next to me on the park bench.

"Are you ready to go?" I asked, smiling.

"Absolutely." He replied as he swept me up into his arms and spun me around. Once my feet were on the ground, Edward pressed his lips against mine and he wrapped his arms around my waist in one of the most passionate embraces in the history of the kiss.

_Six Months Later……_

**JPOV**

Even though it seemed like days since I had seen my Leah, I knew by the clock that it had only been a few hours. She had class this afternoon, so I had to find something to occupy my time. If I thought I could pass the class and not get kicked out I would have taken it just to be able to sit in the classroom and stare at her, but that wasn't going to work. And Billy would have been pissed at the wasted money.

I checked the clock again. She'd be picking me up in about forty five minutes. She insisted on driving wherever we went ever since she got her new car. Fine with me, whatever put a smile on that beautiful face.

Billy was reading the paper at the kitchen table. As I walked by, he couldn't help but comment.

"Well, you look nice, Jake. Still trying to impress Leah after all this time?"

"Quit it, Dad. You know I like to look good for her." I replied.

He ignored my comment. "I was just reading in the paper that Newton Outfitters was broken into. Did you hear anything about that?"

"No. I haven't really paid any attention to them or their place since Bella dumped me for their son." I answered, but not bitterly like I used to. I wasn't bitter anymore about anything since I realized how I felt about Leah.

"Yeah, I know. It's strange, really. I remember Charlie and I had always talked about how nice it would be if you and Bella ended up together. It's such a shame what happened to her."

"Well, I wish we could have at least stayed friends. That's my fault, though. I was such a kid back then." Billy raised an eyebrow at that comment, and I gave him a smirk in response. I guess I was still a kid to him.

"Charlie took it pretty hard, but at least he knows that she died peacefully in her sleep."

"Yeah," I said. "That's the good part, I guess. If her brain was going to pop a gasket, at least she never knew it." Billy gave me a disapproving look, as if I was dancing on her grave or something.

"Well, when she fell after getting her diploma, they never suspected that it was going to be a problem. She seemed fine. The doctors can only guess that's what caused the hemorrhage."

I still had a half hour before Leah would arrive, so I decided to catch up on some of the news from the parts of the paper that Billy was finished with.

_FORKS/LA PUSH TRIBUNE_

_Police Beat_

_B & E at Newton's Outfitters_

_Story By Eric Yorkie_

_Small amounts of cash and some camping gear were stolen, and minor damage to the storefront window was done to Newton's Outfitters late Saturday night. The owners, Bill and Martha Newton of Pickering Lane in Forks, were shocked that something like this could happen in such a small town as theirs. "This has to be kids from out of town. We're a well-respected family in Forks, and anyone who knows us would know that we've certainly been through enough over the past year." _

_Mrs. Newton was referring to the death of their son, Michael, who was trampled by a moose in Vancouver last summer while hiking with members of his nudist colony. Local park rangers believe that Mike may have survived the trampling, but was unable to escape a subsequent attack by local wildlife. Fresh mountain lion and bear tracks were identified close to the remains._

"Geez, did you know what happened to their son?" I asked.

"Of course, Jake. Some of us actually read the paper more than once a year." Billy looked up at me from the paper with one of those looks that told me to stop being an idiot.

"So, what are you up to tonight?" I asked, changing the subject. Only twenty more minutes until Leah would get here.

"Charlie and Sue are coming over to have dinner with Myrna and I. In fact, she should be here any minute." He glanced at the clock, seeming almost as eager to see his new girlfriend as I was to see my Leah.

I was glad that he had someone to spend time with. Especially since I wasn't around very much anymore, except to sleep and eat the occasional meal. Sue and Charlie had set my dad up with Myrna, who was the dispatcher at the police station in Forks. She was nice enough, and seemed to make him happy. Plus, she was a good cook, which meant there were usually some decent leftovers in the fridge when I was home.

"Okay, well have fun. I'm going out to the garage to work on the Rabbit until Leah gets here. See ya, Dad."

"Bye, Jake." He gave me a wave from behind his paper, and I went outside into the cool late afternoon.

I sat down on the steps for a minute just enjoying the fresh air. I looked down at myself and decided that I really needed to hit the gym. I used to have a pretty good shape, but lately it seemed like any muscle I had was turning into jelly. Probably because when I was with Leah we did things that weren't too physically challenging.

One thing I was glad for, though, was that I stopped getting taller. I was just on the verge of not being comfortable in my car as it was, and Billy had complained that we were going broke on pants and shoes for me.

It was all good, though. I felt happier than I could remember since my parents' accident so long ago. I had a decent job running the auto shop out of the garage, and I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend. It wouldn't surprise me at all if I spent the rest of my life with Leah. The connection we had was unbelievably strong.

Yup, I thought to myself as I spotted her car's headlights coming up the road, life is pretty damn good.

**_Thanks so much for reading!! Please review so I know you are out there. :)_**


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